A Newsies Life
by eronnactually
Summary: COMPLETE WITH THANK YOUS! When Lizzy becomes a newsie, the Manhattan boys practically throw her at Spot. But what happens when the newsies don't know they're going out? Please review!
1. Now isn't that a great beginning?

A NEWSIES LIFE

DISCLAIMER:  I own none of the newsies.  

"Wake up, little sister!"  James shook his sixteen-year-old sister, Lizzy.  Lizzy rolled over, cracked an eye, then closed it again.  "Come on, it's time to make breakfast" he said cheerfully, as he shook her awake.

            "All right, all right.  I'm up" Lizzy said.  James grinned and left the room where Lizzy and her ten-year-old sister Kathy slept.  Lizzy climbed out of bed and quickly got dressed.  She heard lots of noise outside and moved towards the flat's window.  She saw the newsboys making a ton of racket as they came out of their lodging house that was located across the street.  She sighed and glanced at Kathy, hoping she wouldn't be woken.  Thankfully, the noise died down and Kathy was still sleeping peacefully.

            Lizzy walked out of her bedroom, dressed with her hair braided, and walked into the kitchen, where James had just begun breakfast.  "I'll take over here," Lizzy told him.  

            "Thanks" James replied.  "I'll set the table and then wake up Will, Kathy and Frank."

            A few minutes later Will, who was twelve, Kathy, and Frank, who was seven, were up and dressed.  "What's for breakfast?" Frank asked.

            "What we always have for breakfast on the weekdays!" Lizzy told him.  "Oatmeal!  And can one of you go see if Papa's awake?  If he is, ask him if he wants some breakfast."

            "I'll go" Will volunteered.  He ran down the hall and disappeared into his father's room.

            He returned just as Lizzy was dolling out the oatmeal.  "He said thank you, but he'll have some in a little bit" Will reported.

            "Then let's eat!" Frank exclaimed.  "I'm starving!"

            They all sat down at the table, James at the head and Lizzy across from him.  They talked pleasantly about what was happening at the three smaller children's school.

            Pretty soon, breakfast was over.  Lizzy plaited Kathy's hair into two braids, while the boys made three lunches.  "Go say goodbye to Papa, then you guys should leave for school.  You don't want to be late," Lizzy told them after she finished Kathy's hair.  Lizzy and James smiled as they watched their younger siblings scramble to go kiss their father good morning.  "And you" Lizzy said to James in mock severity, "had better get right to your books after they leave.  That competition is only two months away."

            James smiled.  "Yes, mother" he sighed, playing along.  Then he said in a more serious tone "I'll get plenty of studying done today, don't you worry.  But I have to talk to you about something first."

            Lizzy looked at him questioningly, but didn't get a chance to speak because Will, Kathy and Frank ran out of their father's room.  They were grabbing their school things when Kathy suddenly exclaimed, "Where's my history book?  I can't find it!" 

            "What's new about that?" Will muttered under his breath.  They were often late to school because of Kathy's forgetfulness.

            "It's right here on the desk where you left it" James said, handing her the book.

            "Thank you, James!" Kathy said.  "We'll see you after school."

            "Have a good day" Lizzy called, as they grabbed their lunch pails and ran out of the house.

            The flat became quiet, and Lizzy told James "I'll take Papa his breakfast, you start cleaning up in here.  Then we can talk."  James nodded, and Lizzy made a tray of oatmeal and a glass of water.  She knocked on Papa's door, and entered after she heard him say, "Come in."

            Inside sat Mr. Thompson, Lizzy's father, on the bed.  His hair was still brown, but he looked older than he was because he was so pale – both because of the illness that had left him unable to use his legs, and because he couldn't leave the flat easily.  In spite of this, his brown eyes twinkled as he watched, from his bed that was pushed up next to the window, his three younger children walk down the street towards school.

            He smiled at his eldest daughter.  "Good morning Lizzy" he said as she set the tray on his lap.  "Did you sleep well?"

            "Oh, very well Papa.  And you?"

            "The same thank you.  This looks delicious, as always" he said, looking at his breakfast.

            "Thank you Papa" Lizzy replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek.  "Is there anything else I can get you?"

            "I would like a newspaper my dear."

            "I'll run and get one then.  It won't hurt James to do the dishes for once."  She grinned at Papa, because they both knew that she loathed doing the dishes.  "I'll be back soon," she said over her shoulder as she ran out of the room.

            "James, Papa wants a paper, so I'm going to run out and get one."  Lizzy grabbed a nickel from the tin in the pantry and headed out of the flat.

            When she reached the street, she took a deep breath.  It was nice to get outside, and the air had not yet gotten as hot as it would grow in about an hour.  She looked up and saw Papa looking out his window.  She waved, then ran off down the street.

            There was no telling where a newsie might be, so Lizzy had to slow down and watch the people in the already-crowded streets.

            Suddenly she heard, "Explosion at local factory!  Corpses litter the area!"  Lizzy grinned to herself.  That was definitely a newsie – they were very good at "interpreting" the headline.  She turned towards the left where the voice had come from.  She caught sight of two older boys and one younger one who were carrying papers.

            "Excuse me" Lizzy said, running up behind the one with the red bandanna around his neck.  He turned around, glanced at her and said, grinning "What can I do fer a pretty goil like youse?"

            Lizzy rolled her eyes at this.  She held up her nickel and told him "I need to buy a paper."

            "Well, dat can be arranged" the boy replied.  

            "Just give me the paper" Lizzy replied impatiently.  

She handed over the money and took her paper when the boy told her "I don't gots change, miss."

            Lizzy glared at him.  "What *exactly* do you take me for?  I know perfectly well that you have change, so hand it over."

            The two boys next to him glanced at each other.  The older boy said quietly, "C'mon Jack, just give her her change so we can keep sellin'."

            "Fine" Jack sighed.  He handed Lizzy her four cents.  "You win" he told her, "but only because Davey boy here has too big a heart."

            "It really wouldn't have mattered" Lizzy told him.  "I would've beaten you up if you hadn't."  She smiled sweetly at him, then turned around and walked away.

            She heard the little boy say in an awed tone "Did you hear that, Jack?  She threatened to soak ya!"

            Lizzy smiled to herself.  She soon reached her building, and ran in.  "Here you are Papa," she said, entering his room and handing him the paper.  "Enjoy," she said, closing the door behind her.  "When Papa wasn't spending time with his children, he was either observing the people in the street below or reading.  James and Lizzy went to great lengths to get him something new to read as often as possible.

            Lizzy walked to the kitchen table and sat next to James, who had been waiting for her.  Lizzy grew very serious.  "Is it something about your visit to Grandma's last night?" she asked apprehensively.  James nodded.  "Well, what is it?" she pushed.  

            "Grandma says she's going to reduce our food money."

            Lizzy gasped.  "What?  We barely have enough food for three growing kids, and she's not going to give us enough money to buy all the food we need?  Did you try to talk to her?  I know how persuasive you can be."

            "I tried my best, Lizzy, but Grandma was as stubborn as a mule."

            "Why is she doing this?" Lizzy asked.

            James sighed.  "She says we're spending too much money as it is, and Papa's doctor prescribed him that new medicine that costs more than the old one did."  James put his head in his hands.  "I tried what I could, Lizzy, but I couldn't risk offending the woman who's paid for everything for us since Papa got sick.  I just couldn't."

            "It's all right, James.  I understand." Lizzy told him, patting his shoulder.

            "I'll get a job, and…"

            "No you will not" Lizzy interrupted him.  "You will continue studying.  *I*will get a job."

            "I can't let you do that," James told her.  "I have to think of the family."

            "Oh James, your studying will help the family much more in the long run" she pleaded.  "If you keep studying, I know you can win that college scholarship competition.  And if you graduate from college, you can get a well-paying job to support us on, and we won't have to rely on stingy old Grandma all the time."

            James sighed.  "But I can't let you get a job.  You'd be stuck inside some dangerous factory all day, and I can't let you do that."

            "But James, if it makes you feel any better, I won't work in a factory.  I can make enough money selling newspapers to supply what Grandma won't."

            "You want to sell papers?" James asked, surprised.

            "Well, not really" Lizzy told him, "but it's a whole lot better than anything else out there for a girl to do.  Come on, James, say it's all right."

            James hesitated.

            "You know how stubborn I can be," Lizzy reminded him.

            James' shoulders dropped.  "All right, you can do it.  We really have no other choice.  But are you sure you can do it?"

            Lizzy grimaced.  "Of course I can!  If those dumb newsies can do it, than so can an educated female like myself."

            James grinned.  "Well then, tomorrow you start selling papers!"

Author's Note:  Please review this!  And things will get better in the next chapter – Lizzy's going to meet all the Manhattan newsies.  And she's going to have a romance with one of them, but not Jack, so keep your eyes pealed for that.  I'm also open to any suggestions and stuff.  But I refuse to put depressing stuff in this – I hate stories where someone gets raped or beaten numerous times, or pregnant when they don't want to be.  OK, rant over, so please review now!


	2. We Ain't Hardly Ever Seen Any

A NEWSIES LIFE

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own the Newsies.

"Wake up, little sister" James said very early the next morning.  "It's time to go sell papers!"  Lizzy sat up, still half asleep.  "Mmm hmmm" she told him.  James watched her stand up, and then walked out the door.  He had always been a morning person.  Lizzy, on the other hand, preferred to be a night owl.  Last night, she had gone to bed early, but she had gotten little sleep.  She was so nervous, despite the fact that she kept telling herself that she had nothing to be afraid of.  She sighed.  She was still frightened.  She tried to push that out of her mind and put her dress on, with a pair of James' old pants underneath her skirt.  That had been James' idea – she would be more comfortable walking through the New York streets, and it would be easier to defend herself if she wasn't worried about modesty.  Lizzy looked down at herself and nearly laughed out loud – her dress came about three inches below the knee, and the pants were clearly visible below that.  She then shrugged and decided she liked her new look.  It was certainly different. 

            She did her hair in a single long braid down her back, and hurried to the kitchen where James had already made her oatmeal.  "Oh, thank you James.  I don't know what I would do without you!" she told him.

            "It's the least I can do for you," he told her.  He hated cooking, but Lizzy was practically his best friend, and he would do almost anything for her.  "Now, don't forget what I Papa and I told you last night.  Be home before dark.  And if you feel threatened by anybody at all, you just punch them, all right?"  

"All right, James.  Don't worry about me.  If I need to fight somebody, I will.  But I don't plan on it unless it's absolutely necessary" she told him.

"Well, I'm really glad I taught you to fight when we were younger.  It makes me a whole lot more comfortable with this."  Lizzy rolled her eyes, and just as she was finishing the last of her breakfast, she heard the door opening across the street.

            "They're out!" she yelled.  "I'd better go!"  

James handed her money to buy her first papers and a newsboy hat that he no longer wore.  "You need one of these to be a real newsie," he told her.

"Thanks so much" she told him.  She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran out the door.  "Tell Papa I'll see him in the evening!"

"Don't get into any trouble on your first day!" James yelled after her.  "And don't forget to be home before dark!"

            Lizzy reached the street, where newsies were still streaming out of the lodging house.  She followed the general path they were taking, only she tried to keep to the edge of the sidewalk.  Soon they reached a courtyard with a statue in it.  Nearby, Lizzy saw where they bought their papers – but the gate was closed at the minute.  The boys were all hanging around the statue, so Lizzy took the opportunity to stand a little off to the side of the gate.  Her plan was to, above all, draw as little attention to herself as possible.  She didn't want to be prevented from buying her papers for any reason – especially because she was a girl.

            She heard a bell ring inside the gate, and she ran to get in the line that quickly formed.  She was not at the head, where everyone would be sure to notice her, but she was towards the front, so hopefully she could quickly get her papers and leave.  She didn't want to associate with the newsies either.

            Unfortunately, her plan failed from the start.  The boy in front of her in line said to the slightly smaller boy next to him "Well, looky heah.  If it ain't a goil.  First time sellin' papes?"  Lizzy glanced up at him, her eyes full of disdain, and noticed that he had a patch over one eye. 

            She looked away quickly.  "Don't start a scene, don't start a scene" she had to tell herself over and over.  Controlling her temper was not one of her strong points.  "Yes" she answered him quietly.

            "What, you ain't never seen a goil before?" said the boy he had been talking to before.  "Just ignore Blink heah."

Lizzy sighed with relief.  "At least this one has some common sense," she thought.

            "Ah, come on, Mush, we don't gots many goil sellers and youse knows it" he said to both Mush and Lizzy.  "Ise was just commenting" he explained to Lizzy.

            "Hey, who's talkin' 'bout a new goil seller?" said a small Italian with a cigar between his lips.

            "See, Mush" the boy with the eye patch said again, "Race understands."

            Mush just rolled his eyes.  "So what's your name?" Race asked.

"Lizzy" she told him.  At that moment, she caught sight of a little boy and an older one walked towards the front of the line.  Lizzy recognized them – they had been the ones that stood by while the boy with the red bandanna had sold her a paper yesterday.  She tried to move over so they wouldn't see her, when she looked ahead and saw the boy with the red bandanna at the front of the line.

            The gates opened, and everybody started walking forward.  "My name's Race" said the small Italian.  "And dis is Mush and Blink."

"Nice to meet you" she told them.  In spite of her determination to hate all the newsies, she was starting to like these three.  They were kind of funny.  They began walking up the ramp, when the little boy from before suddenly said, "Hey, it's that girl!"

            "What goil?" asked the red bandanna guy that Lizzy remembered was named Jack.

            Lizzy sighed.  So much for remaining unnoticed.

            Jack caught sight of her, then quickly bought his 100 papes and walked over to her.  All the other boys had their eyes on him, even the ones in front of her who were buying their papers.  "And what do ya think you're doin'?" Jack asked her, in a condescending tone.

            Lizzy looked down, somewhat scared, when she suddenly looked up defiantly.  She wasn't going to let *this* newsboy keep her from buying newspapers.  "It's none of your business, thank you very much."

"Oohh" all the boys around her went, gathering closer.  Jack glared at her.  It was her turn at the window, but he was blocking her.  Suddenly, he smiled, and told her "I like goils with spunk."  He grinned.  "Hurry up and buy your papes so I can introduce you to da boys."

            Lizzy was dazed.  She quickly bought twenty papes and then walked down the steps.  "I've already met Racetrack and Mush and Blink."

"Good" he said.  "What's your name?"

            "Lizzy Thompson" she replied.

            "Youse gonna need a better name than that.  See this here's Crutchy," he said, pointing to a young redhead who was using a crutch to support himself.

            "Hiya there, Lizzy" he said cheerfully.

            "And you've met these three" he said, pointing to Racetrack, Blink and Mush. 

            "And this here is Boots."

            "Hey" Boots said.

            "And these two here are David and Les Jacobs."

            "Hi" Les said.  
            "Nice to meet you" David added.

            "Hello, everybody" Lizzy said in a slightly shy voice.

            "And I'm Jack Kelley, but people call me Cowboy.  I'm da leader around hear."  Lizzy nodded, somewhat awed.  "Don't look like dat," Jack told her.  "We act tough, but we're da nices newsies in all of New York.  Do ya know how to sell papes?" he asked, changing the subject abruptly.

            "Well, I've never done it before, but…"

            "Well, then youse don't know," he said matter-of-factly.  "I'd teach you 'cause I'm the best in Manhattan, but I'm sellin' with Davey and Les here, and four sellers is a bit much.  You only want one of the best to teach you, right?"

            "I guess" Lizzy answered, still rather overwhelmed at how the boys had taken to her.  She was actually starting to like all of them – not just the first ones she had met.

            "Well, den, I know just the guy to teach you."

            "Who?" David asked.  

            "Ah, don't worry about it.  We'll be seein' him at Meddas in tomorrow anyways.  You can come with us" he said to Lizzy, "and meet him there.  Race, are you goin' to the tracks today?"

"Not plannin' on it Jack" Race told him.

"Well den, why don't you and Crutchy sell with her for now?"

            Crutchy smiled happily and Race nodded.

            "That good with youse?" Jack asked Lizzy.

            She nodded.  "Yeah.  Thanks a lot."

            "Aw, it's nothin'.  You wait till tomorrow.  Then you can thank me!"

            All the newsies began walking out onto the street.  Race grabbed Lizzy's arm to guide her out, and Crutchy walked right behind her.  "What'd Jack mean by that?" Lizzy asked them when they had stopped on the sidewalk.

            "Well, if he can convince Spot to teach you how to sell, well…that's quite a feat." Crutchy told her.

            "Spot?  Who's Spot?" Lizzy asked.

            "Just da most important newsie in all of New York City" Race told her.  

            "And he's going to teach me how to sell papers?" 

            "First of all, Lizzy, they're called papes" Crutchy corrected her.  "And second of all, that's *if* Jack can convince him to.  He might be able to, but I don't know."

            "Yeah" Racetrack agreed.  "He's not too keen on leaving Brooklyn all da time."

            "He's from Brooklyn?" Lizzy asked.

            "Yup" Race said, putting his cigar in his mouth.  

            "But don't let him know that you'd nevah heard of him" Crutchy warned her.  "Or he won't take to you."

            "Wait, so now I have to impress him?"  Lizzy raised her eyebrows skeptically.  "Cause honestly, I'm not good at flattering people.  I say the wrong thing, and stuff just comes out wrong, and…"

            "Aw, don't worry about it" Crutchy told her.  "Spot'll like you just fine.  We like you, and we just met you."  Lizzy smiled.  

            "Hey, we gotta start sellin' our papes!" Race told them.  "We can talk more at lunch."

            "All right, I'm ready." Lizzy said.

            "Now the first thing ya gotta know…" Race began explaining as they walked off down the street.

TBC…

**Author's Note:  Well, this is my second chapter.  Bad ending, I know, but I wanted to get up what I had.  I'm gonna have them eating lunch in the next chapter, and she'll get to talk to all the Newsies.  And I've got other stuff planned.  I've got two really (and I mean really) good scenes in my head, but I have to get through all this intro stuff before I can get to the fun stuff.  So bear with me!  And please review!  I take suggestions, too, so click that button!


	3. Nunsense is Habit Forming

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Thanks so much again to all my reviewers.  And a note for dragon:  Lizzy still wears her skirt for a few reasons.  I've seen pictures of girl newsies and they all wore their skirts.  Also, it wasn't really proper for a girl to go around wearing pants (they would show off her legs too much) and Lizzy's older brother James would therefore not let her leave the house in pants.  Plus, I just like skirts much better!  And they'll be more info on the mother and grandmother later in the story, so everything will be explained.

DISCLAIMER:  I own none of the newsies.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 3

            Race and Crutchy had been teaching Lizzy the basics of selling all morning long.  They had gone to Central Park, which Racetrack swore by when he wasn't selling at the tracks.  Although they really weren't able to talk much, Lizzy was having the time of her life with these two.  They treated her just like one of the guys, except she suspected that they were a little politer around her than they were around the rest of the newsies.  Around noon (according to Racetrack's watch, which Lizzy suspected was off by a half an hour) they stopped selling and headed towards Tibby's where the rest of the newsies would be gathered for lunch.

            "So how long have you two been selling?" Lizzy asked them.

            "As long as I can remember," Racetrack told her.

            "Since I was eight" Crutchy replied.

            "Wow.  Do you like it?" 

            Racetrack shrugged.  "I guess I'm pretty lucky that I have a job that allows me ta go ta the races whenever I want ta."

            "Well, I wouldn't have it any other way!" Crutchy said in his usual happy tone.  "Life would be so boring if I was doin' anythin' but sellin' papes.  Those few weeks I lived in the Refuge – I had food and was warm – but I was so unhappy.  I regretted not breakin' out as soon as Jack and Davey left."

            "Wait, what?  What's the Refuge?  I don't quite understand" Lizzy said, shaking her head.

            "The Refuge is dis house for young criminals" Racetrack explained.

            "They put me in dere durin' the strike.  They caught me 'cause of my leg, but they couldn't catch the others." Crutchy told her.  "And then Jack and David came to bust me out, but I told them I wanted to stay – my leg was hurtin' me, you see – but I wished I hadn't told them I wanted to stay right after they left."

            "Can you guys still get thrown in the Refuge?" she asked.

            "Nope.  Snyder – he was the warden – got arrested 'cause he was pocketin' our food money.  Roosevelt hisself saw to it that he was put away" Crutchy said proudly.

            "Hey, we're heah!" Racetrack said.  "This is Tibby's, Lizzy.  This is where all of us newsies hang out when we're not sellin', pretty much.  Heah or our lodgin' house."

            They walked inside the restaurant, and Lizzy saw Jack, David, Les and Blink sitting at one of the large booths.  "Oh, there youse guys are!" Jack said.  "We've been waiting to heah all about how your first day of sellin's goin'."

            Lizzy and Crutchy and Racetrack sat down at the table.  "Pretty good, thanks" Lizzy replied.  

            "Where've youse guys been sellin'?" Jack asked Racetrack and Crutchy.

            "Where else?  Central Park" Racetrack told him.  

            "And she's a pretty fast learner." Crutchy told the rest of the boys, while Lizzy blushed a little.  "Reminds me a lot of another seller we all know way back when he foist started sellin' papes."  He grinned at the boys, while Lizzy once again felt confused.  She had been feeling that way quite a lot today.  

            "Who?" she asked.  

            "Don't worry 'bout it.  You don't even know him yet anyways," Blink told her.  

            "But lets just say it's a huge compliment to be compared to him" Racetrack reassured her.  Lizzy flashed him a bright smile.  

            "Thanks" she muttered into her lap.  They were certainly very gallant for dirty newsboys, and it embarrassed her somewhat.  She was very happy when Mush and Boots appeared at the door, and grabbed two chairs to sit at the end of the table.  

            "Oh, hey Lizzy" Mush said.  "How'd your sellin' go?"

            "Good, thanks" she told him.

            Mr. Howell, the owner of Tibby's, came to the table and asked them what they'd like to eat.

            "You go foist, Lizzy" Jack ordered.

            "Oh, I'm not hungry" she told them, lying through her teeth.  She'd eat dinner at home – lunch wasn't totally necessary, and she wanted to bring home as much money as possible.  The boys all looked at her, somewhat disbelieving.  "I had breakfast this morning, so I'm fine – really" she reassured them.

            "Well, we can chip in and-" David started. 

            "NO!" Lizzy said forcefully.  "If I want lunch, I'll pay for it.  It just so happens that I don't want lunch.  Sorry, but I'm independent.  If you guys are going to be my friends, you're going to have to realize that."

            The rest of the guys looked slightly perturbed, then Blink spoke up.  "She's soundin' like him again!"  They all laughed at this, and Lizzy had to smile, although for all she knew that could be a horrible insult.

            The rest of the guys ordered, and then Lizzy asked the guys how many papes they sold per day.

            "We sell lots!"

"Oh, a hundred, easy."

            "Seventy-five most of the time!"

            "On a good day, two-hundred at least."

            They all grossly exaggerated their actual number, and Lizzy smiled.  "You guys are something else!" she said, shaking her head.

            "We sure are!" Les exclaimed.  "We're the best newsies in all of New York!"  Everybody laughed at that.  "Well, we are" Les continued.  "We got all the newsies to go on strike with us, and we beat Pulitzer" he bragged to Lizzy.

            "Ah, we weren't arguin' with youse" Jack told him.  "They're just other newsies that wouldn't agree with youse there."

            At this point, the newsies food came, and Lizzy watched them all eat ravenously.  "Haven't eaten in a few days?" she asked them jokingly.  

            "The nuns weren't at their usual post this monin'" Boots explained.

            "The nuns?" Lizzy asked.  "Is that slang?"

            Jack practically snorted.  "No.  The nuns go around each mornin' givin' food to the needy.  We get bread from the every mornin'."  

            "Oh, I see" Lizzy replied.  

            "So are you from around here?" David asked.  "You sure don't sound like it."

            "I've lived here for a while, but before that I lived out in the Midwest, in the middle of nowhere.  I practically spent all my time outside when I wasn't in school back then."  

            "Are you comin' to Medda's tomorrow night?" Boots asked her.

            "What d'ya mean, is she comin'?  Of course she's comin'!" Jack told him.

            "Well, um, where exactly is Medda's?" Lizzy asked.

            "Oh, it's about five blocks north from the lodging house – you know where that is, right?"

            "Yes.  But, there's just one thing I need to ask you guys to do."

            "What is it?" Jack asked.

            "Well, I guess I should ask you two" she turned to Crutchy and Racetrack, "seeing how I'll be selling with you two again tomorrow.  Could you come to dinner at our flat beforehand?  I'm not allowed to go out at night unless Papa and James meet someone I'm going with."

            "That sounds great to me!" Crutchy told her.

            "Who am I ta say no to a free dinner?" Race asked, grinning.  "Of course we'll come."  
            "Who's James?" Les asked Lizzy.

            "My very protective older brother" Lizzy told him.  "He's always been that way.  He taught me to fight when we were kids so that I'd be able to defend myself when he's not around to do it."

            "Really?" Les's eyes widened.  "He *taught* you to fight?  David won't even let me learn how to fight."

            "If you want to learn how to fight, you'd better ask Jack to teach you.  I can't fight worth a darn anyway," David said modestly.

            Les grinned with delight.  "I supposed I could teach ya a few tricks," Jack told him, and Les positively beamed, while everyone else laughed at the elated look on his face.  "But right now, we'd betta get back to sellin'," Jack said.  

            All the newsies stood up, and leaving money by their plates, headed outside.  

            "Are we going back to Central Park?" Lizzy asked Race and Crutchy.

            "Might as well" Race said.  "We've only got a few more papers left to sell, so we might as well keep sellin' there."

            "How many did we have to begin with?"

            "Well, you had twenty, and we both had forty." Crutchy told her.  "So that's…" he squinted his eyes, trying to calculate how many papes they had that morning.

            "A hundred" Lizzy finally said, getting tired of waiting for Crutchy to figure it out.

            "Yeah, that's right" Crutchy said.

            "So we've only got about forty left to sell" Racetrack said.  "Let's hurry up and get those over with."

TBC…


	4. You Are Sixteen Going on Seventeen

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 4

            Around 4 o'clock, Lizzy, Race and Crutchy headed back towards the lodging house.  They had managed to sell all their papes and were very pleased with themselves.  "We'll walk you home, Lizzy" Race told her.  "Where do you live?"

            Lizzy grinned.  "Right across from the lodging house."

            "Really?" Crutchy asked.  "How long have you lived there?"

            "About four years."

            "It's amazing we never met you before" Racetrack mused.

            "Well, I would hear you guys leave every morning.  And I would be inside by the time you guys returned to the lodging house."

            The boys nodded.  "So how old is this older brother of yours?  Should we be worried?" Race asked.

            "He just turned nineteen.  And you shouldn't be worried.  Just be on your best behavior tomorrow.  I would invite you to dinner tonight, but James isn't expecting anyone, and he wouldn't have enough food prepared."

            "That's alright.  You invited us for tomorrow anyways." Crutchy told her.  "Does your brother always do the cooking, though?"

            Lizzy laughed.  "No – I usually do.  But he's taking over most of my household chores so that I can sell."

            "And he doesn't mind that?" Race asked.

            "Not really."

            "And you don't mind?" he asked again.

            "Mind what?"

            "That he's staying home while you have to get a job."

            "Oh, that.  It doesn't bother me.  He's studying for this scholarship competition for college, and I want him to get it so bad.  He's always done wonderfully in school.  He's doing lots of studying, so it's not like he's slacking off."

            "Wow, college" Crutchy commented.  "That's pretty impressive.  Can't say I really know anybody who went to high school, let alone college."

            "I went to high school," Lizzy told him.

            "Really?"

            "Well, I didn't finish it so I might not count."

            "Why didn't you finish it?" Race asked.

            Lizzy waved to someone above.  They had reached her flat and the lodging house.  "I have to go now, but I'll see you two tomorrow morning!  Bye!"

            "Bye Lizzy!" they called after her.  

            Lizzy ran up the stairs and entered her flat.  "Hello!" she called in a cheerful voice.  

            "Lizzy!" three young voices called back.  

            "How was your first day?"

            "Was it fun?"

            "Did you like the other newsies?"

            Lizzy laughed.  "Will, my first day was great.  Kathy, I had lots of fun.  And yes, Frank, I did like the other newsies.  And how was school today?"

            All three children started talking at once, telling her about the fight on the playground, and so on.  Lizzy walked into the kitchen, where James was cooking.  "Smells good, James" she complimented him.

            "Thanks.  And how was it?"

            "Oh, it was great.  I'm so glad I'm doing this – I was expecting to hate the job and hate the newsies, but the job was interesting and the newsies were really nice.  I'll tell you more about it later, right now I have to go see Papa."

            She walked into Papa's room and sat down on the edge of his bed.  "Well, I can tell you had a wonderful day by the glow on your cheeks" he said, smiling.

            "Yes" Lizzy agreed.

            "Who were the boys you were walking back with?"

            "Their names are Racetrack and Crutchy.  They're really nice.  Oh, and I have something to ask you, Papa."

            "Well, what is it?" he asked kindly.

            "All the newsies are going to Medda's theatre tomorrow evening, and they want me to come with them."

            "Lizzy, you know that I can't let you go out in the evening unless I meet someone that you're going with."

            "But Papa, that's why I invited Race and Crutchy over for dinner tomorrow."  She smiled at her father hopefully.

            "All right, if they meet my approval, then you may go."

            "Oh, thank you Papa!" she said, hugging him.  "I know they will.  They're really very nice.  I was completely wrong about them before.  I'm going to go help James with the dinner right now, but I'll tell you all about my day after we eat!"

            Later on, after the children had eaten dinner at the kitchen table and their father had eaten his dinner in bed, the children went to sit in their father's room like they did every evening.  They each had their own chair in the room, and there was one desk in the room – in case one of the children wanted to do some of their homework on it.  Frank had a book he had to read for school, Kathy was working on her math at the desk, Will was studying his history, Lizzy was reading a novel, and James was studying from one of his books.  

            "So your selling went well today, Lizzy?" James asked.

            "Oh yes.  I sold with two guys named Racetrack and Crutchy.  They're coming for dinner tomorrow, then I'm going to go out with the rest of the newsies – provided that Papa approves of them."

            James looked at his father.  "Do you think that's a good idea?"

            Papa looked up from the paper that Lizzy had brought home.  "I see no reason why she shouldn't if these boys are nice.  After all, Lizzy's sixteen now, James.  We can't keep her inside all the time."

            James sighed.  "I suppose so," he agreed reluctantly.  "Why are you going out, though?"

            "Because Jack – he's the Manhattan leader – is going to convince this guy named Spot to teach me how to sell papes, but apparently he doesn't live in Manhattan.  He's going to be at Medda's tomorrow though, so Jack's going to talk to him there.  Plus, I think the newsies were being friendly.  They're really a very nice group of people."

            James laughed.  "I'm really surprised to hear you say that.  Is this the same girl who used to complain about the 'dirty rotten newsboys who clutter the streets of New York looking for gullible people to sell their papers to'?"

            Lizzy sighed.  "Yes, I did say that – but I was so wrong!  They accepted me right away, even though I was a girl, and Jack volunteered these two boys to start teaching me, and they agreed right away, and they just…"

            "They just what?" Will asked, interested.

            "They're really just so cool and fun to hang around with.  They treat me like one of the guys, only they watch their language around me.  They're friends."

            Kathy sighed.  "Why can't I be a newsie, too?  It's so unfair!"

            Papa laughed.  "You have some school left to finish, young lady.  But maybe when you have a day off, you can go selling with Lizzy."

            Kathy's face lit up.  "Really?  Oh, thank you Papa."  She ran over and gave him a hug.

            "Hey, what about me?" Frank asked.

            "Yeah, me too!" Will added.  "I want to go too."

            "I'm sure I'll be able to take each of you at one point, alright?" Lizzy told them.

            "Yes!" they all chimed.

            "But right now, I'm heading to bed.  I'm not used to getting up so early in the morning.  I'll see you guys tomorrow."

TBC…


	5. What is he like? Hot!

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Thanks so much for all my reviewers:  Rae Kelly, Bam, Gloria, dragon, Fastdancr, Miss Ice, Natalie (i.e. my friend Nancy!), mary, Lizzy K – my friend!, and princessred.  And thanks so much to those of you who posted more than one review!  I love you guys!

DISCLAIMER:  I own none of the newsies.  I'm working on getting the rights to Spot and Race, but Disney is saying "No way, Jose".  Sigh.  I'll just hafta settle with putting them in my fanfics.  

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 5

            Lizzy wasn't at all nervous the next day.  She had slept well, and had actually woken up before James had to get her up.  She got dressed and put her hair in two braids down her back (childish, she knew, but she liked her hair that way) and went out to make her own breakfast.  "Good morning James!" she chirped when James walked in the kitchen.  

            "You're in a good mood" James commented.

            "You're right – I am.  I can't wait to sell today."  She sat down and began eating her breakfast.  As soon as she finished, she kissed her brother good-bye and ran outside.  She waited for about five minutes, when suddenly all the newsies began to come pouring out of the lodging house.  

            "Lizzy!" Racetrack called, smiling.

            "Hey Racetrack!" she called back.  "Ready to sell papes?"

            "You bet."

            "Hiya Lizzy!" Crutchy called, hobbling over towards her and Racetrack.

            "Morning, Crutchy."

            "Hey Lizzy, everything alright for tonight?" Jack asked as stopped next to her and walked with his arm around her.  "Cause I don't want ta go ta all the trouble ta convince this fellow ta teach you to really sell papes if you're not gonna come."

            "Oh, it should be alright, Cowboy – so long as Racetrack and Crutchy leave a good impression on my father and my brother."

            "Don't worry about it Lizzy," Crutchy told her.  

            "Yeah, we've got it covered," Racetrack told her.

            Lizzy sighed.  "How would I manage without you guys?" she asked.

            "Eh, you wouldn't" Racetrack grinned.

            As they started walking, Lizzy felt someone tug on her braids.  "I like your hair, Lizzy" Boots called from behind her.  

            "Well thanks, Boots.  Just don't tug them too hard please."

            Boots grabbed the two braids (which went pretty far down her back) and walked behind her, slapping the braids on her back.

            Kid Blink came up to them, took one look at Boots, then told Lizzy "I'm not gonna even ask."

            Mush, however, did.  "What da hell are youse doin'?" he said to Boots.

            "Nuttin'" Boots said, sulking a little, but he continued playing with Lizzy's braids.  Mush rolled his eyes but walked on.

            They had reached the statue right outside the distribution office, where David and Les were waiting for them. Lizzy got in line with Crutchy and Racetrack as they waited for the gates to open.  "So, are we selling in Central Park again today?" Lizzy asked.

            "That's the plan," Race told her.  "And we'll try and leave a little early so's we can get back to your place for dinner."

            "Great!" 

            At that moment a bell rang and the gates were opened.  The newsies walked up the ramp and began buying their papes.  Lizzy bought twenty again and then walked out of the gates with the rest of the newsies.  "Well, looky heah" said a voice from behind them.  "Look Morris, it looks like da newsies have a goil in dere midst now."

            "Sweetie, youse too pretty for dere company" said Morris, obviously the other one's brother.

            Lizzy gave them an icy look, then turned around and walked off with the newsies, who laughed at the two boys behind them now.  "Who are they?" Lizzy asked.

            "Ah, just a coupla a scabs – the Delancey brudders" Jack told her.  "They used to work in the distribution office, but dey got fired after da strike.  They've always hated us newsies."

            "Yeah – cause we can soak em with two hand tied behind our backs!" Race joked.  

            "Just ignore them, Lizzy.  They're just not worth your time." Crutchy told her.

            "Oh, don't worry – I will."

            Then the other newsies started hawking the headlines, and yelled good-bye to each other as they each headed their separate directions.  Lizzy and Race and Crutchy had the same amount of papers as the day before, but they finished selling them much quicker than yesterday.  They saw all the other newsies at lunch, then managed to sell their last ten papers outside of Tibby's.  After that, they went back to the Horace Greenly statue that the newsies congregated at in the morning.  "So why does Jack want this Spot person to teach me how to sell?  It seems to me that you two are doing a good enough job as it is." Lizzy asked them.

            "Well, Jack would nevah admit this ta anyone, but Spot's an even bettah seller than he is." Crutchy told her.  "And he only teaches a lucky few, and they always go on ta be high sellers."

            "Jack only wants da best ta teach youse" Race told her.  "I mean, I know we barely know youse, but we feel like your our little sistah already."

            Lizzy smiled.  "So what is Spot like?"

            "Like?" Crutchy laughed.  "He scares almost all the newsies in New York – 'cept us, although we're kinda in awe of him as well."

            "He's *scary*?" Lizzy asked.  "And why aren't you guys scared of him?

            "'Cause we remember back when he foist started sellin' papes, that's why" Race told her.  "And scary's not really quite the right word.  He's only scary when he's really mad.  And people who have seen him mad once nevah forget it, so they're always a little scared of 'im."

            "Great" Lizzy said miserably.  

            "Oh, he's also the leadah of Brooklyn, and don't forget it." Crutchy told her.  "Not that he'll let youse."

            Lizzy's face was turning more and more pale.  "And you might want to do your hair a little nicer for tonight." Race told her.  "He'll take to you better if ya look as pretty as possible."

            "Yeah, ya might want ta change your dress too.  And don't wear the pants under your skirt tonight."

            "Wonderful.  You guys are getting a hothead and a ladies man to teach me how to sell papes" Lizzy said, reading between the lines.

            "I wouldn't really call him a ladies man," Race said.  "He just always has a few goils hanging onto his every word," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

              Lizzy sighed, then looked at them and grinned back.  "Oh, come on.  James should be starting dinner soon.  And you two can sit right near me at Medda's and tell me if I do anything horribly wrong that would offend this Spot fellow."

            "Sounds good ta me" Crutchy told her.  "I'm starved, too!"

            They began walking back, and Lizzy asked them "Do you think Spot will agree to teach me to sell papes?"

            "Sure" Race and Crutchy replied immediately.

            "No, I mean seriously.  I know Jack's persuasive, but you said Spot doesn't often train people…"

            "Well, either Jack will persuade him to," Crutchy said.  "Or…"

            "Or what?"

            "Or you'll convince him to" Racetrack finished.

            "Oh good grief" Lizzy said, sighing once again.  "I think I'm going to faint when I finally meet him."

            "Well, whatever you do, don't do that" Crutchy told her.  "Spot doesn't like weak goils."

            "Stop it!" Lizzy ordered.  "No more of that, or my brother will never let me out of the flat.  And we're here anyways."

            They walked up the stairs to Lizzy's flat, and went inside.  "I'm home!" Lizzy called, and her three younger siblings came running towards the door.  

            "Lizzy!" Frank was yelling, "I read a whole paragraph today!"

            "Good for you" Lizzy told him, tousling his hair.  "Now, I have some people I want you guys to meet.  This is Racetrack and Crutchy."  Then turning to Race and Crutchy, she told them "this is Will, and this is Kathy, and last but not least this is Frank."

            "Hiya kids" Race said.

            "How ya doin'?" Crutchy asked.

            Will, Kathy and Frank just sort of stared in awe at what they had been calling the "real" newsies all day.

            "Come and meet my brother and Papa" Lizzy told them, walking farther into the flat.  Race and Crutchy noted that it was simple but comfortable and clean.  Lizzy led them towards the kitchen.  "James, this is Race and Crutchy.  Guys, this is my older brother James."

            James, looking stern but nonetheless smiling, asked them how they did and then shook their hands.  "I'm going to introduce them to Papa, and then I can help finish dinner" Lizzy told him.

            She led Race and Crutchy out of the room, and once in the hall gave them these instructions: "You'll do fine with Papa as long as you don't act funny around him.  He can't walk, but don't treat him any differently than you would other people, or he won't like you" she warned them in a whisper.

            Race and Crutchy glanced at each other.  This was the first time Lizzy had mentioned that her father couldn't walk.  Granted, they'd only known her for two days, but still, it surprised them.

            "Papa?" Lizzy asked, leading them into the room.  "These are my new friends, Racetrack and Crutchy.  Guys, this is my father, Mr. Thompson."

            Papa looked them over and then smiled at them kindly.  "It's nice to meet you," he told them.

            "The pleasure is all mine, yer honor," Race told him, while suppressing the urge to spit in his hand and offer it to shake.  He had a feeling Mr. Thompson was the kind of person who would do the spit shake, but it was best not to try it.

            "How'd ya do?" Crutchy asked, smiling his usual happy smile.  

            "I'm going to go help in the kitchen, um Race and Crutchy, do you two want to come with me?"

            "That's not necessary Lizzy" Papa told her.  "They can stay in here until dinner's ready."

            Lizzy glanced at her father, then at her friends, and then nodded.  "All right" she said hesitantly.  "I'll be back when dinner's ready."

            She walked out of the room, sorry to have to leave her friends in with her father by themselves.  "James, let's hurry up and get dinner on the table" she told him.

            "Why?" he asked.

            "Because Papa's talking to Race and Crutchy, and I want to get them out of there!"

            "Lizzy, if these friends are really as nice as you say they are, you have nothing to worry about" he told her.

            "Oh, I know that.  I just feel like I'm leaving them in an uncomfortable situation.  So let's hurry."

            They managed to get dinner on the table in record time, and Lizzy sent Kathy in to Papa's room to get Race and Crutchy, while Will and Frank set the table.  James made up a tray for their father, and walked back into his room with it.  He came back towards the kitchen leading Kathy, Race and Crutchy.  Lizzy smiled at them, and began dishing out the beef stew.  They all sat down and ate.  Will, Kathy and Frank asked the newsies questions about being a newsie through the entire meal, which they answered good-humouredly.  Will seemed somewhat reserved, but Kathy and Frank were literally hanging on Race and Crutchy's every word.  After dinner, they gathered in Papa's room, and Frank began telling him about the strike that Race and Crutchy had been involved in.  

            Aside, Race told Lizzy that she might want to change her clothes and do her hair a little nicer.  "Y'know, nothin' fancy, just try to look nice."  Lizzy nodded and went to change her dress.  When she came back, wearing a dark blue dress that brought out the blue in her eyes and the tints in her brown hair, Race and Crutchy nodded at her to let her know that she looked good.  The dress was tight at the waist, and showed off her figure admirably.  Instead of wearing pants under her dress, Lizzy had on tights and nice black boots.  

            She had brought a brush and comb in with her, and sat down in her chair and began redoing her hair.  By the time she was finished, she had her hair French braided so that only the front part was braided, and the rest hung loose.  She brushed her hair, making it shine, and it waved ever so slightly from being in braids all day.  

            About a half an hour later, Lizzy looked at Papa and asked, "May I go, please?"

            Papa smiled at her.  "Yes you may."  He had gotten a very good impression of Race and Crutchy.  They had been talking with the family as if they had known them all their life, and were great with his younger children.  And he felt instinctively that his girl was safe with them.  James smiled at Lizzy, to let her know that she had his consent.  "Oh, thank you" Lizzy told them.  

            "We'd better get goin' then" Crutchy told her.  "All the other newsies get there early.  We wanna get a good seat."

            Lizzy kissed Papa, and after Crutchy and Race had said goodbye to her family, they headed out the door.  Before they left, Lizzy grabbed her newsies hat and put it on.  "I'm ready," she told them, as they headed out to the theatre.

TBC…

So how'd you guys like it?  Please review this!  Pretty please?  And I just can't wait to get on with the story.  I just can't seem to write it fast enough.  


	6. All Hail the Great and Powerful Brooklyn...

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own the newsies.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 6

            Lizzy, Race and Crutchy walked down the street towards Irving Hall.  Lizzy had her left arm linked with Crutchy's, and her right arm linked with Racetrack's.  "Your family's really nice" Crutchy told her.  Race nodded in agreement.  

            "Thanks" Lizzy told them.  "I think so too."  She laughed.  "My family just loved you two.  I was expecting you two to make a good impression and everything, but I certainly was not expecting them to like you *that* much."  

            Race and Crutchy smiled.  "By the way, Lizzy" Race said, "you look really nice."

            "Yeah" Crutchy agreed.  

            Lizzy blushed a little.  "Thanks."  Then changing the subject, she asked them "So what did you guys talk to Papa about while I helped with dinner?"

            "Oh, we just talked about sellin' papes" Crutchy told her.  

            "Yeah, he was really interested in it" Race told her.  "Askin' us when we had to get up, where we sold, how we sold."

            Lizzy looked slightly perturbed.  "Really?" she asked somewhat disbelievingly.

            "Uh huh" Crutchy and Race told her.   

            Lizzy shrugged her shoulders and looked up to see Irving Hall, and a big picture of 'Medda: the Swedish Meadow Lark' over the entrance.  "So is this Medda any good?" Lizzy asked them.

            "Oh, she's the best" Race told her enthusiastically.

            They walked inside after paying the door attendant five cents, and walked up the stairs on the side.  "We always sit in this one box upstairs," Crutchy explained to her.  "All the other newsies will be up there too."

            Lizzy nodded as they reached a hallway.  She followed Race and Crutchy down the hallway to a noisy box at the end.  They opened the door to find all the newsies that Lizzy knew and a few that Lizzy didn't know, inside.  The commotion grew as Race, Crutchy and Lizzy greeted all the newsies.  Lizzy found her hand shaken and her back slapped a lot.  She sidled over to Race and asked quietly "Is he here?"  

            Race looked around quickly, and told her "Not yet.  He'll probably be heah in a little bit, though."  They went over and sat down towards the left end of the front row in the box.  Lizzy found herself in between Racetrack (who was on her right) and Blink (who sat on her left).  The other newsies gradually sat back down, even though the show wouldn't start for a while.  

            "So how'd the dinner go?" Blink asked her.  

            "Really well" Lizzy told him.  "You wouldn't believe how much my family liked Race and Crutchy."

            "What's your family like?" 

            "Nicer than the Jacobs, if you can believe it" Race told him, grinning.

            "That nice?" Blink said, raising his eyebrows.  

            "Whose family is nicer than the Jacobs?" Mush asked from behind them.  He hadn't been paying attention and had only caught the last part.  

            "Lizzy's" Crutchy, who was sitting next to Race, told him.  "She's got a really nice father, three brudders and one sistah."

            "Wow, that's a lot" Boots said from where he was sitting next to Mush.  

            "Hopefully you'll all be able to meet them someday." Lizzy told them.  "My younger brothers and sister would love to meet more real newsies.  They were so excited that they were going to meet two today."

            "But you're already a newsie" Blink pointed out.

            "Not to them, I'm not," she laughed.  "I'm just their older sister who happens to sell papes. You guys are the real thing."

            "Well, you tell them we officially make you a real newsie" Race told her.  "Don't we boys?"

            "Yeah" they all agreed, and Lizzy smiled.  "Why do I suddenly feel like I've just gained a lot of older brothers?" she asked.  

            Suddenly Les, who had been outside with Jack and David, ran in.  "Mush, she's here!" he told him.

            All the boys started snickering.  "You had Les keep watch for ya?" Race asked, laughing.

            Mush blushed crimson, while Lizzy quietly asked Blink what they were talking about.  "Mush really likes this goil, Della.  He met her when he was sellin' papes outside of the factory where she works.  He started sellin' there regularly, just so he could talk to her every day.  He's liked her for two months, but this is the foist time he had enough guts to ask her out."

            All the newsies watched as a petite redhead walked in the box.  Mush jumped up and went over to her.  The newsies all started talking and laughing again, so that they wouldn't get the impression that everyone was watching them.  Mush and Della went towards the back of the box to sit down, and the newsie's attention wandered.  

            Les walked over to Lizzy, and told her that Jack had begun teaching him how to fight today.  "Really?" Lizzy asked.  "Can you show me some of what he taught you?"

            "Sure!"  Lizzy and Les stood up in front of the seats, and Les demonstrated what he had learned.  Lizzy let him start swinging some punches at her, most of which she blocked pretty easily.  There were a few that she let get by though, just to make Les feel like he was accomplishing something.  And Les was purposely hitting very lightly anyways.  Just as she let Les punch her in the stomach, and keeled over as if he had hurt her (which made Les laugh hysterically), David walked in with Jack and a few other boys that Lizzy didn't recognize.  

            "Les!" David yelled, running over to them.  "If you're going to beat up girls, I'm not gonna let Jack teach you anymore!  How could you?"

            Lizzy laughed, and quietly told David that she wasn't really hurt.  "We were just joking around a little David.  He was showing me what he learned today."

            "Oh" David said, surprised.  "But you could've really gotten hurt."

            Lizzy laughed and sat down.  She heard Jack laughing near the door at them, too, and she turned around to look at him.  She noticed a few of the boys Jack was standing with were staring at her.  She figured that one of them must be Spot, but she had no idea which one.  One of them, she noticed, was cute, but he was a whole half a foot shorter than all the other boys, so he probably wasn't the great and powerful leader of Brooklyn.  Lizzy turned to Race and asked him to point out Spot, but Jack and the other boys had just moved to sit down, and they couldn't see all of them.  "I'll point him out later" Race promised.  

            The lights dimmed just the tiniest bit in the theatre, and Jack and all the other boys with him sat down.  Jack, the cute one that Lizzy had noticed before, and another large Brooklyn newsie were sitting at the other end of the row Lizzy was on.  Racetrack looked down the row, and whispered to Lizzy as the curtain went up that the one sitting right next to Jack was Spot.  Lizzy started to ask if wasn't he a bit small to be Brooklyn's leader, when Race hushed her.  Medda came out onto the stage, and all the newsies attention was fixed on her.  Well, almost all of them.  Mush was pretty engrossed with Della in the back row.

            Lizzy watched Medda's song for a little bit, but found herself unimpressed.  It wasn't that the songs were bad themselves, it was just that Medda didn't have the greatest voice, she looked kind of old, and after all, Lizzy was a female so Medda naturally wouldn't have the same effect on her as the rest of the newsies.  She looked around at the newsies, and then glanced down towards Jack.  She noticed that Spot was looking at her.  And even when he noticed her gaze, he *still* looked at her.  She continued to let her gaze wander until it rested back on the stage.

            The first act finally ended, and the other newsies finally stopped doing something besides ogle at the stage.  Jack stood up and walked over towards the door.  Spot followed him.  Since they weren't looking at her, Lizzy studied them.  She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Spot was obviously against what Jack was proposing.  

            "Hey Lizzy" Race interrupted her thoughts.  "Did ya like that?"

            "Yeah, sure" she said, distracted.  "I think Jack's trying to convince Spot to teach me to sell papes."

            Race looked over at them.  "Don't look now, but Spot's lookin' at ya."

            "He is?" she asked.

            "Uh huh.  They're walkin' over here now, so look pretty!"

            Lizzy grinned, then looked over to Jack and Spot, whom sure enough, were walking over to her.

***************************************

            Spot had been listening to what Jack was saying with disbelief.  He wanted Spot, the leader of Brooklyn, and the most well known newsie in all of New York to teach a Manhattan girl how to sell?  It was ridiculous, and he told that to Jack.

            "Aw, come on Spot.  You're the best, and we all want the best to teach her."

            "No way Jacky-boy.  I haven't taught anyone ta sell in a year, and I've never taught a goil to sell.  I only teach those with potential."

             "But she does have potential" Jack told him.  "In fact, she reminds us all of you back when youse first started sellin' papes."

            Spot looked at him, trying to determine if he was lying.  "What goil do you want me ta teach?"

            Jack pointed out Lizzy, and Spot realized that she was the girl that had caught his eye before.  He glanced at Jack, then back at Lizzy.  Jack could tell that his determination was melting.  "How about it?" Jack asked.

            "All right" Spot said.  "I'll do it.  But you'd better be grateful, 'cause this won't be happenin' often." 

            Jack grinned.  "Great.  Then I'll introduce ya to her.  C'mon."

***************************************

            Jack and Spot walked over to Lizzy.  "Lizzy, this is Spot Conlon.  Spot, this heah is Lizzy Thompson.  Lizzy, Spot here's agreed ta teach ya how ta sell papes."

            "Nice to meet you" Lizzy told him, smiling somewhat nervously.  Spot shook her hand, smiling very self-assuredly.  

            "Nice ta meet ya too," he told her.  He looked around.  "Hey Blink, move over so's I can sit next ta Lizzy here."

            Blink grinned and moved over.  "So Spot, how ya doin'?" Race asked him.

            "I'm doin' good" he told him.  Lizzy noticed that even when he said the simplest thing, he had the air of someone who was issuing a command.  He turned his attention back to Lizzy, not noticing that Race, Crutchy, Boots and Jack were all observing him and Lizzy closely.  Spot stretched his arm around the back of her chair.  "So what'd ya start sellin' papes for?" he asked her.

            "Same reason everyone else does" Lizzy told him, slightly annoyed.  "To make money."  She shrugged off his arm.

            All the other newsies drew in their breath.  Spot gave her a piercing look.  "Do you know who I am?" he asked.

            "Sure" Lizzy replied, intimidated, but determined not to let him know that.  "You're the leader of the Brooklyn newsies, and the most famous newsie in all of New York.  Or so they tell me."

            "What's that supposed to mean?" Spot asked, his eyes narrowing.

            "Oh, nothing" Lizzy said breezily.  She was realizing just how easy it is to get under Spot's skin, and truth be told, she was enjoying it.

            "No, tell me" Spot ordered.

            "I don't think you want to hear it" Lizzy told him, smiling sweetly.

            "What – you think I can't take it?" Spot was practically yelling.

            "All right, all right.  But don't say I didn't warn you."  Race hit her on the back at this point to try and stop her, but she continued on.  "Everyone just keeps telling me how everyone in New York knows you, but I've lived here four years and *I'd* never heard of you.  And so what if you are famous?  It's only because everyone else is scared of you!"

            Spot looked like he was about to burst.  "How dare she say something like that!" he thought.  "And damn her for being so cute too!"

            He was about to reply, when the lights dimmed again.  Blink, from Spot's other side suddenly said, "Look, it's starting again.  Everybody be quiet!"

            The other newsies all started shushing each other, and Spot sank down in his seat, glowering.  He wouldn't even look at Lizzy.  Medda came out again, but this time she couldn't hold the newsies attention.  They were all staring at Spot and Lizzy.  Spot now had his arms crossed, and Lizzy rested her elbow on the seat rest and put her head in her hand.  All the newsies looked upset.  All, that is, except Jack.  He was grinning from ear to ear.  He wasn't going to let Spot get out of his promise, and they'd figure out that they were perfect for each other eventually.  In the meantime, they would be awfully entertaining to watch.

TBC… 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Did you guys like that?  I personally think this is my best chapter yet.  So please review and tell me what you think.  Also, I was just watching my DVD again (which has great special features, except they have NO interviews with Spot – what's up with that?) and I noticed that Spot wears a key on a string around his neck.  Sorry if everyone else noticed this already, but now I'm so excited about it b/c I'm gonna find a way to put that key in my story.


	7. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

SHOOT!  When I first posted this, I forgot the DISCLAIMER:  I don't own Newsies.  And whoever does should make it into a Broadway play, alright?!

            A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 7

            As Lizzy sat with her head in her hand, she wondered, "Why did I just do that?"  She looked up and noticed that all the newsies were watching her.  She turned her eyes to the stage and tried to concentrate on what Medda was singing, but her mind kept going back over the scene that had just occurred between her and Spot.  She certainly had not meant for that to happen, so she would apologize.  She couldn't help but think that it wasn't all her fault, but she would be the bigger person and apologize as soon as the show finished.

            Spot, sitting next to her, was incredibly pissed off.  Nobody had ever spoken to him like that.  No one had dared.  But now this girl, who'd been a newsie for two days, was smart mouthing the most respected newsie in New York.  "Respected" he thought.  "Not scared.  I'm not a scary person."  As he sat there, he just got madder and madder.

            When the show was over and the lights came back up, Lizzy turned to Spot and apologized.  "I'm sorry for what I said to you before" she told him.  "It was just… I said the wrong thing, alright?"

            Spot gave her a cool look.  Obviously, that kind of apology wasn't going to cut it.  But Lizzy wasn't going to give in anymore.  She glared back and turned around, walking towards the door.  She stopped when she saw Jack standing by the door.  "Do you need someone to walk you home?" he asked, smiling.

            Lizzy sighed.  "Yes, I do, thanks Jack."  

            "Oh, I can't walk you" Jack told her, grinning.  "Hey Spot, come walk Lizzy home."

            Spot gave him a look that would've made most of the other newsies cringe, but it had no effect on Jack.  Spot walked over towards Jack and pulled him aside so that Lizzy couldn't hear them.

            "What d'ya think your trying ta do?" he hissed at Jack.

            "Lighten up, Spot" Jack told him.  "I jist figured that you could walk her home and discuss your guys sellin' tomorrow.  Besides, all my boys will be wantin' ta go say hello to Medda, and Lizzy had ta go home right after the show ends.  I'd walk her meself, but I've got business ta take care of.  And what's wrong?  I've nevah seen youse give up a chance ta spend time with a pretty goil before."

            As he talked, all the other newsies headed out the door to go see Medda backstage.  The only ones left in the box were Spot, Jack and Lizzy.  "C'mon" Jack told him.  "She apologized.  Just walk her home."

            Spot sighed.  "Fine, Jacky-boy.  But youse owe me big time.  And for way more than just walkin' her home."  

            He walked over to the door.  "Let's go," he said, not even looking at Lizzy.

            Without a word, Lizzy walked out of the room with her head high.  Spot followed, glowering.  They made their way to the street, and walked side by side down the road.  Lizzy took a deep breath.  As always, her anger had melted quickly.  She stopped and faced him.  "Look, Spot, I know we got off on the wrong foot.  We don't have to like each other, we just have to sell papes together.  I'm sorry, OK?  I'm not gonna say it again, so take it or leave it."

            Spot ignored her and just continued walking.  Lizzy had been mad before, but now she was *really* mad.  She followed him and continued walking in silence.  Spot asked her, in a frustrated voice, "Where exactly is your home?"

            Lizzy glared at him.  "Right across from the Manhattan Lodging House.  And we're almost there, so you won't have to spend anymore time in my company" she spit out.

            Spot again said nothing, which was the best way to make Lizzy mad, although he didn't know that.  He started walking faster, then Lizzy started walking even faster than that, and then Spot increased his speed, and Lizzy did the same until they found themselves racing towards the Lodging House.  Spot just beat her there, then told her as she came up behind him "Not bad for a goil, but you'll have ta do better than that if youse wants ta keep up with all the other newsies."

            Lizzy raised her arm as if she was going to hit him, when she heard James' voice.  "Lizzy?  Are you alright?  What's going on?"

            She looked up towards her window, which James was yelling out of.  "I'm fine James.  We're just joking around.  I'll be right up."

            James closed the window, but Lizzy knew that he would still be watching them from the window.  "Well good night Spot" she said, shaking his hand that he hadn't stretched out.  Then, her voice dripping with sarcasm, she told him "I just can't wait to sell with you tomorrow.  See you in the morning."  With that, she walked into her apartment building and disappeared inside.

************************************

            Spot had walked back to the theatre after Lizzy went in her apartment.  He couldn't believe that he had promised to teach that girl to sell.  He had a feeling that by the time he was finished teaching her, he'd be running, screaming, from Manhattan.  He walked into the backstage area of the theatre and joined all the other newsies back there.  He noticed that most of the other newsies avoided his gaze.  "Why didn't ya guys warn me?" he asked no one in particular.  "I wouldn't of agreed ta teach her if I knew she was like that."

            All the newsies looked at each other.  "She's not that bad Spot" Crutchy finally spoke up.  "In fact, I think you'll find that when you get ta know her, she's really nice."

            "I don't want ta get ta know her" Spot told him.  

            "Aw, come on Spot" Race said.  "I saw the way you looked at her before.  You didn't seem so upset about teachin' her ta sell then."

            "Yeah well that was before she opened her mouth!" Spot shot back.  

            All the Manhattan newsies got kind of defensive at that, but no one really felt like challenging Spot.  They were a little scared of him, for all that Crutchy and Race had said they weren't.  Spot guessed what they were thinking, which made him even more upset.  It was bad enough that she annoyed the heck out of him, but for her to be right about all the newsies being scared of him was even worse!  Spot hadn't really had any friends since he became the leader of Brooklyn.  Loyalty he had plenty of, but friends were very scarce.  That was one reason he liked to hang out with the Manhattan newsies.  He had started selling in Manhattan, and many of the Manhattan newsies knew him before he moved up in the world.  Still, even they betrayed a little skittishness when Spot was around.

            Spot sighed to himself.  The newsies started leaving, and Spot followed with the three other Brooklyn newsies.  "Boys, it looks like I'm gonna be stuck heah for a while, so keep an eye on everything.  If there are any problems, youse knows where ta find me.  And I'll be showin' up periodically ta check on everything."

            The three boys nodded and said goodbye before they headed off across the bridge.  Spot caught up with the other newsies who were heading back to the Lodging House.  He didn't need to go back to get anything from the Brooklyn Lodging House because literally all he owned was the clothes on his back, his slingshot and his cane.  Anything else he needed he could borrow from the other newsies.

            The other newsies were all talking and joking, but Spot was silent the whole way home.  He certainly wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.  They walked into the Lodging House and headed upstairs to go to bed.  After all, they all had to get up early tomorrow morning.  Spot went straight to the empty bunk (it was the one that didn't have the sheets all tangled on top, because none of the boys ever actually made their beds) and laid down after taking off his shirt.  The other newsies talked while they were heading to bed, but no one bothered Spot, which in a way made him feel even worse.  He didn't feel like one of the newsies.  

            He tried to clear his head so he could fall asleep, but his thoughts kept intruding.  He wondered how Jack managed to be one of the guys while also being the Manhattan leader.  Why couldn't he do that too, he wondered.  This was the first time he had ever felt this way, ever missed companionship.  He sighed.  If only that girl (he refused to think of her by her real name) hadn't said that everyone was scared of him!  Then he wouldn't have been so paranoid.  He heard one of the newsies snoring, and noticed that almost all of them were asleep by then.  He climbed out of bed and out onto the fire escape.  He sat there for a long time, enjoying the cool night air, until he finally leaned over and fell asleep.

TBC…

OK, please review!  Pretty please – I love reviews.  Also, I have to thanks some more people for reviewing – Gnat10886, Mandy, Kate, Petite and Kathy, along with everyone else who I already mentioned before.  Oh, and of course, I can't forget my mother, who just reviewed this, oh, *6* times.  Also, since you asked, AngelicOne, the DVD does have interviews with Max Casella, who plays Racetrack.  It's got two Making of Featurettes, one of which is hosted by him, Mush and Boots, and another that he's interviewed in.  Also, it's got a thing on the true story behind the strike, and audio commentary with like six people talking on it (the director and co-choreographer, and the producer and the writers and some other people) along with some other stuff that's not worth your time.  The picture is also widescreen, so you can see everything that's going on, and nothing's cut out of the picture.  Also, I just realized that there was a part cut from "Carrying the Banner" that's on the soundtrack.  There's a little clip of that (they're singing "It takes a smile as sweet as butter/The kind that ladies can't resist/It take an orphan with a stutter/Who ain't afraid ta use his FIST!… and then goes on to summer stinks and winter's waitin')  OK, my little talk session is over, thanks for all of you who read it!J  Now go review!


	8. Spot's New Philosophy

DISLCAIMER:  I don't own the newsies.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 8

            Lizzy had a very hard time getting up the next morning.  She wasn't used to going to bed so late, and it took James all of ten minutes to get her out of bed.  When he finally got through to her that she would be late if she didn't hurry, she climbed, grumbling, out of bed.  Then she realized just how much time she had, and hurriedly started getting dressed as James went to dish out her breakfast.  

            She rushed into the kitchen five minutes later, her laces untied, while she braided her hair.  "You're nervous, aren't you?" James asked.

            "Am I that transparent?"

            "You are to me," he told her.  "So I guess things didn't go too well last night."

            "That's the understatement of the year.  Things went horribly," she said while practically shoveling down her breakfast.

            "Do you want to talk about it?"

            "No" she sulked.  James sat across from her but was silent.  After she finished she grabbed her cap and the money she needed to buy her papes and ran out the door.  She could hear the newsies outside, and her shoes weren't even tied yet.  "I'll tell you all about it when I get home" she promised.  "I'm really not up to talking about it now."

            "I understand" James told her.  "But you're not getting out of talking about it this evening!"

            "All right" Lizzy grinned as she ran down the stairs outside their flat.

            She found a bunch of the newsies waiting for her outside.  "Well, well – look who decided to grace us with her presence" Blink joked.

"Sorry I'm late" she said as she put on her cap.

"Don't let it happen again" Spot spoke up next to her as they started walking towards the distribution office.

"What?" Lizzy asked, surprised by the abruptness in his tone.

"One of the most important things youse have ta learn is ta not be late.  It could keep ya from getting' your papes in the mornin'."

"I was two whole minutes late, maybe less!" she argued.

"It don't matter" Spot told her, as he glared and turned to face her.  "Late is late."

Lizzy just nodded a little, as if to appease him, and then rolled her eyes off to the side.  Race came up to her left, and she turned towards him, trying to ignore Spot, who was marching forward with his eyes straight ahead like a soldier.  Lizzy felt like calling out "Left, left, left-right-left" but she didn't dare.  "I won't be seein' you today" Race told her.

            "Why?" she asked, disappointed.  She had looked forward to seeing everybody at lunch.

            "Because I'm back to sellin' at the races" he told her.  "While we're on the subject, could ya do me a favor?"

            Lizzy laughed.  "Well, we weren't really on the subject, but sure.  What is it?"

            "Well, ya know the waitress at Tibby's?" he said in a low tone, trying to keep Spot from hearing.

            "Oh" Lizzy said, grinning.  She glanced at Spot and kept her voice down.  "You want me to talk to her, is that right?"

            Race nodded, slightly blushing.  "No problem.  I'll take care of it today" she said in a louder voice.  

            "Thanks so much Lizzy.  I owe you one."

            He walked away, and Spot looked at Lizzy.  "What was that all about?" he asked.

            "If it concerned you, we would've told you," she said.  "In other words, it's really none of your business."  She said this in as nice a tone as possible, but she was well aware that it would irritate Spot.

            He continued walking even more sternly than before.  But he didn't have time to bother Lizzy much with this because they reached the gate.  Lizzy and her friends got in the front of the line, and Lizzy bent down to tie her shoes.  When she got back up, she noticed that David and Les had joined them at the gate, which was just opened.  The newsies walked up the plank, Jack at the front, Spot and Lizzy right behind him.  Jack got his usual one hundred papes, and Lizzy got fifty papes after Spot ordered her to.  Spot bought one hundred as well, and then he headed off.  Lizzy said a quick goodbye to all the newsies and rushed off after him. 

            All morning long, Lizzy listened while Spot lectured her about the proper way to sell papes.  Lizzy wouldn't have minded so much if he'd just been nicer about it, like Crutchy or Race.  But instead, he acted like he was explaining everything to an idiot, which Lizzy resented.  Even though she got madder and madder as the morning went on, she couldn't dispute that Spot was an expert at selling papes.  He seemed to know exactly what kind of approach to use with each person that passed.  Lizzy could've learned a lot just by watching him.

            Still, she was incredibly happy when they headed to Tibby's for lunch, and even happier when she saw all her friends in a nearby booth.  "Lizzy!" Les called as she walked over.  "Let me show you what else I learned this morning!"  

            "All right, but wait a minute" she told him, laughing.  "Let me sit down for a few minutes first."

            With that, she slid into one side of the booth, and Spot slid across from her.  Jack and Les were on her side of the table, while Blink and Mush were sitting on the other side of the table.  All the other newsies were in the booths next to theirs.  

            "How'd it go, Lizzy?" Crutchy asked, turning around in the booth behind her.

            "Good, thanks.  And how're you doing today?"

            "Just fine" Crutchy said, smiling.  "And how's your family?"

            "They're all fine since last night."  She turned around when she saw a waitress come up to their table.  This was the one Race had been talking about before.  She was a little shorter than Lizzy and had slightly curling brown hair and gray eyes.  The boys ordered, but Lizzy refrained, saying she wasn't hungry.  Spot shot her a disbelieving look, but continued talking with the other boys.  "I'll be right back boys," she said really quickly, as she slipped out of the book to try to talk to the waitress.

            "Um, excuse me" she said, coming up behind the girl.

            "Can I help youse?" the girl asked in a pleasant voice with a heavy accent.

            "Yes, can you show me where the restroom is?" Lizzy asked.

            "Sure.  Follow me."  She led Lizzy towards the back of the restaurant.  None of the other newsies could see them there.  

            When they reached the door, Lizzy told her "Actually, I don't need to use the bathroom. I just wanted to talk to you about something.  My name's Lizzy by the way."

            "Mine's Kitty," she told her.

            "Nice to meet you.  Anyways, I have this friend named Racetrack, and he's a little too shy to approach you himself.  He was wondering if you might consider meeting him after you get off work tomorrow."

            "Which newsie is he?" Kitty asked.

            "He's at the races today, but he was with me yesterday, if you saw us then.  He's the Italian with a smart mouth."

            "Oh, that one" Kitty said, grinning.  She thought for a moment.  "Tell him I'd love to.  I get off tomorrow at three o'clock, so he can meet me here."

            "Great!" Lizzy said.  "He'll be so happy.  I have to get back to the table or the boys will get suspicious, but I'll talk to you later."

            "Bye Lizzy!" Kitty called as Lizzy ran back to her table.  Kitty turned around, and with a little skip went into the kitchen.

            Lizzy was back at her table in a minute and tried to act like nothing was going on, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face, and she almost giggled at one point.  Spot had been watching her curiously from the first, but Blink finally noticed and said something.  "What are you grinning about?"

            "Oh, nothing" Lizzy said.

            All the other newsies looked towards her.  "Come on, Lizzy.  What's up?" Jack asked.

            "Nothing" she said, more forcefully this time.  Luckily for her, Kitty came back with the boy's food and distracted their attention.  

            Les hurriedly finished his food, and then he and Lizzy went outside so he could show her what he learned.  It was essentially the same things he had shown her yesterday, but Lizzy didn't mind.  She let him get a punch through, and then she started tickling him.  Les was giggling and screeching, but he managed to start tickling Lizzy too.

            And boy was Lizzy ticklish.  They both ended up shrieking with laughter and Lizzy was finally forced to pick Les up and swing him over his shoulder to get him to stop.  Then Spot walked out of the restaurant and stood a little to the side, waiting for her impatiently, as she put Les down and told him to say goodbye to everybody for her.  Then she hurried off to catch up with Spot.

            They finished selling their papes near the Brooklyn Bridge, which Spot did really well near since he was used to selling there.  They started walking back somewhat awkwardly, because they hadn't had a single real conversation all day.  Lizzy considered starting one, but her pride got the better of her.  She wasn't going to talk if he didn't want to, and besides, she told herself, she still didn't like him at all.

            When they finally reached the Lodging House in the early evening, Lizzy turned to Spot and said "Thanks."

            "You're welcome" Spot said.  "And you're not half-bad for a goil" he added.

            Lizzy could tell that that was the best she was going to get out of him, so she smiled and ran to her apartment building, after yelling over her shoulder "See you tomorrow!"

TBC…

Author's Note:  Please review!  I absolutely love reviews!  Also, thanks again to all my reviewers – you guys are so great!  Thanks!            


	9. Come Together, Right Now. YEAH RIGHT!

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own any of the newsies.

AN:  OK, I'm gonna start doing shout-outs, b/c I like them.  So, here goes.

**Fastdancr, Princessred, & S**:  Thanks!

**Miss Ice**:  Here it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Guru**:  I never thought of Lizzy as pigheaded, but now that I think about it, I guess she is.  And don't worry, this is going to be a romance, so Spot and Lizzy will come to their senses.

**AngelicOne**:  Thanks – Race is tied w/ Spot as my fave newsie, so I had to give him a goil too!

**Kate**:  I wrote it as fast as possible.  And it's long, so I hope that makes up for any delay.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 9

            Lizzy ran up the stairs to her apartment, and shouted hello as she walked in the door.  She walked into the kitchen and found Will, Kathy and Frank all helping James make dinner.

            "What's this?" she asked.

            "I'm teaching them to cook" James told her.

            "Are you trying to hint that you're already tired of making dinner every night?" Lizzy teased.

            "Maybe" James told her, grinning.

            "Is it fun you guys?" she asked her little brothers and sister.

            "It's fine" Will admitted.  Frank told her it was fun, and Kathy just rolled her eyes in disgust.  

            "This is not fun," she told her older sister.  "And if I learn to cook, James is going to try to make me fix dinner every night.  And I don't like cooking!"

            "Don't worry Kathy" James assured her.  "I won't force you to fix dinner.  Unless you want to, that is."

            "Oh, I'll never want to" she told him.  "So don't count your chickens before they're hatched!"

            Lizzy laughed, and then headed back to her father's room.

            "Her father looked up from the book he was reading when she walked in.  "Lizzy!  How did last night go?  And how was selling today?"

            "Oh, it was just fine Papa," she said in a dull voice.

            "That doesn't sound like just fine to me."

            Lizzy paused.  "All right, it wasn't," Lizzy admitted.  "I just don't really like the newsie I'm selling with right now."

            "Why, what's wrong with him?"

            "He's just conceited and treats me as if I'm just a dumb girl that he's stuck with."

            "Why would he do that?  Didn't he agree to teach you knowing you were a girl?" her father asked gently.

            "I suppose so Papa.  But he doesn't act like it.  He acts like I'm a huge burden to him. It's just no fun selling with him!"

            "And this is all his fault?" her father asked in an amused tone.

            Lizzy looked down.  "Well, not exactly.  I was a little snippy when we first met, and I apologized afterward, but he wouldn't listen, which just made me madder, and now he's just being a total jerk – and that's not my fault!"

            "Lizzy, how many times have I told you that first impressions are very important?"

            "A lot" Lizzy conceded.  "But what can I do now?  I don't even really want to be friends with him, I just want to make selling with him bearable."

            "Have you tried talking to him?"

            "Sort of."

            "Well, maybe you should try really talking to him."

            "I'll try.  Maybe I can get Race or Crutchy to talk to him for me," she said, brightening.

            "I would talk to him myself if I were you, but I leave it to you."

            "Thank you Papa" Lizzy told him.  "I'll find a way to deal with this.  After all, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

            "Very true" her father conceded.  "Now, what book are you reading right now?"

****************************************

            After the Thompson's had eaten dinner, Papa gave Lizzy permission to run over to the Lodging House to talk to Racetrack.  She walked in the door to find an old man at the desk, and a few newsies gathered nearby.  "Excuse me," she said politely.  "I'm looking for Racetrack.  Is he around?"

            "Lizzy!" Boots said, breaking away from the group on the side.  "Kloppman, this is Lizzy.   She's a new newsie."

            "Oh, well, it's nice ta meet you" Mr. Kloppman wheezed.

            "It's nice to meet you too," Lizzy said, smiling.  "Is Race here, Boots?"

            "Um, lemme go check for ya.  I'm not sure if he got back yet or not."  Boots ran up the stairs, and Lizzy looked around the entrance.  

            "Anybody seen Race?" Lizzy heard Boots yell upstairs.  "Lizzy's downstairs and she wants ta talk ta him!"

            Lizzy heard what sounded like a stampede on the stairs, as a bunch of the newsies followed Boots back downstairs.

            "Hey, Lizzy, how's it rollin'?" Crutchy asked her.

            "Good."  She looked around.  She saw a lot of newsies around – Jack, Mush, Blink, and the others – but no Racetrack, and no Spot she noticed.  "Do you guys know when Race will be back?" she asked.

            "He'll probably be back soon," Jack told her.  "Hey, why don't ya come play poker with us while ya wait?"

            "I don't know" Lizzy hesitated.  "I don't really have any money with me."

            "Don't worry about it" Mush told her.  "We'll just teach ya ta play."

            With that Lizzy found herself dragged upstairs to their messy bunkroom.  They all sat on the floor, and everyone began trying to teach Lizzy to play at the same time.  "Guys, I can't learn with everyone trying to teach me, all right?"

            At that moment, Spot walked in through the window the fire escape was located outside of.  "Hey, what's going' on here?" he asked, watching the throng of people.

            "Oh hey Spot" Crutchy said.

            "We're teachin' Lizzy ta play poker," Blink informed him.

            "But they're not doing a very good job" Lizzy said, sighing, looking at the cards in her hand.

            "Hey Spot, why don't cha..." Jack began, but Spot cut him off.

            "No.  I'll watch."  Spot shot him a nasty look, but Jack couldn't have cared less.

            "All right, ya guys ready?" Mush asked, as they began the first round.

            They began playing, and since Lizzy still had no idea what the aim of the game actually was, she lost the first round very badly.  And the second round.  And the third round.  "Aw, c'mon Lizzy, you can do better than that" Jack told her.

            Lizzy sighed in aggravation.  "You're forgetting that I still have no idea how to play this game.  Mind showing me?"  She sent him a glare and leaned back against a nearby bunk.

            "It's not that hard" she heard Spot telling her.  "Ya see, the whole point is ya want ta get a better hand than all the other players.  Certain sets of cards will top other sets of cards."

            He continued explaining the game, and then when he was done, he abruptly said "And that's about it."  With that, he headed back to the window and climbed back onto the fire escape.  The window was open, so he could hear what was going on in the bunkroom, but he was on the outside.

            Lizzy didn't win the next round, but she did manage to get a somewhat decent hand.  She was really excited, though, when she won the next hand.  They were about to deal again when Race finally walked into the bunkroom.  "Lizzy!" he said.  "What're ya doin' over hear?"

            Lizzy looked around.  It was obvious that she wasn't going to get to speak to him in private, and the boys would get suspicious if she asked to speak to him alone.  "I was just wondering if you were going to the races tomorrow."

            "Well, I'm not sure, but I guess so."

            "Well, I don't think you should.  Don't you have a prior engagement?"  

            "Do I?"  Suddenly he caught on.  "Oh, I remember.  And what time would that be?"

            "Three o'clock at the usual place."

            "Great."  Race smiled happily.

            Lizzy was smiling too, until she caught sight of who was in the doorway.  "Will, what are you doing here?"

            "James sent me to get you.  He says you have to come home now."

            "Oh, hey Will" Crutchy said from a nearby bed.  "Hey everybody, this is Lizzy's little brother Will."

            Everybody said hello.

            Lizzy sighed.  "Oh, all right.  Tell him I'll be right there."

            "No, you're supposed to come with me."  He looked where Lizzy was sitting.  "And are you playing poker?"

            "Yes, but I'm not gambling.  So there's nothing wrong with it."  She grabbed Race's pocket watch and looked at the time.  "I'd better be going guys," she told them.  "I'll see you all tomorrow."

            She started heading towards the door, but Will went towards the fire escape.  "C'mon, this way's shorter" he told her.  

            "But…" she began, but she didn't even have time to protest because Will grabbed her hand and pulled, and Jack came up from behind and pushed.  

            So Lizzy found herself out on the fire escape with Spot and Will.  Spot looked up from where he was sitting next to the window, and asked "Who's this?"

            "This is my brother, Will.  Will, this is Spot.  He's teaching me to sell."

            "Nice ta meet ya" Spot told him as they shook hands.

            "So you're the one who's teaching Lizzy.  Are you really the best seller in all of New York?" Will asked eagerly.

            "So they tell me."

            "Wow.  What's the most you've sold in a day?"

            "Well, I generally sell 150 papes a day.  Sometimes more though."

            Will was in total awe.  "C'mon little brother.  We have to get right home, remember?" Lizzy told him.  She dragged him down the fire escape, and called back "See you tomorrow."  

            When they reached the street, Lizzy whispered "Don't ever do that again, understand?"

            "Gosh, what's your problem, Lizzy?  We just went down the fire escape."  Will looked at her like she was crazy.

            "Just do what I ask the next time, alright?"

            Will shrugged as they walked towards their apartment building.  "Did you want to impress Spot Conlon or something?"

            Lizzy glared at him, and Will just grinned back.  "Ooh, Lizzy!" he taunted.

            "Shut up!"  Lizzy grabbed his collar.  "If I hear another word of this, you'll be sorry."  

            "Lizzy?"

            "What?"

            "You're hurting me."

            "Oh, I'm so sorry!"  She dropped his collar and grimaced.  "I guess I got a little carried away.  Sorry about that.  Just don't talk like that again!"

            "All right, all right.  I forgive you," he said loftily.

            Lizzy shook her head and laughed.  She put her arm around his shoulders, and he put his arm around her waist.  They walked into their apartment building together, neither one noticing that Spot had been watching them the entire time.  He sighed as they walked inside, and headed in the bunkroom himself after they had disappeared.

*********************************

            Lizzy made sure she was ready on time the next morning.  She knew that Papa was right – she had to get along with Spot, and she didn't want to risk having him get mad at her again for being late.  And she didn't want to be called lazy, either.

            They walked to the distribution office in silence, while the other newsies talked and laughed all the way there.  "How many papes should I get this morning?" Lizzy asked him.

            "Think you're up to sixty?" Spot asked her in a condescending tone.

            "Yes" Lizzy replied forcefully as she glared at him.  Out the window went the idea that she shouldn't get Spot mad at her.  She had been with him for fifteen minutes, tops, and she could already tell that he was pissed.  And all she had done was reply to him in the same tone he had addressed her with.  

            Still, Lizzy kept her mouth shut, even as Spot grew huffy.

            Lizzy said goodbye to the other newsies and headed off down the street with Spot.  He immediately began going over what he had taught her the day before, and then told her that he was going to watch her sell papes for a little bit, so he would know what she needed to work on.

            Lizzy began shouting the headline, spicing it up since it was so incredibly boring, but Spot found something wrong with her selling right from the first.  In fact, all Spot did all morning was criticize Lizzy's selling.  Even when he began to sell his own papes, he found plenty of time to tell her what she was doing wrong.

            Lizzy gritted her teeth all morning, but when he started doing it in front of all the Newsies at Tibby's, she got mad.  Really mad.  

            They had been sitting at the table with the other newsies, and Lizzy was enjoying herself – enjoying having other people to talk to and especially enjoying watching Race and Kitty flirt lightly.  Then Spot had to go and start ranting about how she shouldn't skip lunch because he didn't want to be responsible if she fainted.

            All the other newsies stopped and stared.  Lizzy's mouth hung open, speechless at his tactlessness.  Then she gained her voice.  "Can I speak to you outside, Spot?" she asked quietly.  She didn't give him time to answer, but grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door.

            "What the hell is your problem?" she asked, as she gave him a shove.

            "*My* problem?  I'm not the one with the problem!" he said pushing her back.

            "Nothing I do is good enough for you, is it?" she yelled at him.

            Neither one of them noticed that all the newsies and Kitty were gathered at Tibby's front window and could hear everything that was going on outside.

            "Well maybe if you'd do it right!" Spot yelled back.

            "I *am* doing it right, you imbecile!"

            "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Spot said quietly, furious.

            "Gee Spot, I seem to recall you using that line before.  Did it work then?"

            At that, Spot punched her in the jaw, and she fell back on the pavement.

            All the boys ran outside to protect Lizzy, but they didn't need to.  She was up in a minute, and the boys got outside right in time to watch her give Spot a black eye.

            "C'mon break it up!" Jack yelled, grabbing Lizzy.

            "Get the hell off me!" Lizzy yelled.  She elbowed him and wrenched out of his grasp, then began walking away.  She walked over to the statue, and then slid down against it.  She sat on the ground, glaring at the dust.

             Race, Blink, Mush and Crutchy were trying to calm down Spot, who was now turning red with anger.

            Jack sighed.  They sure weren't making this easy.  It was time to do some damage control.

TBC…

AN:  PLEASE REVIEW!  PRETTY PLEASE!


	10. I Blame Jack - And I'm Sure He Blames Hi...

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own any of the newsies

SHOUT-OUTS:

**Rae Kelly**:  Thanks.

**Fastdancr**:  Here it is and thanks.  I liked that part too.

**AngelicOne**:  I wasn't really planning on having Spot punch her first, it just sort of came out that way.  Glad you like the Kitty/Race stuff.  I may put more in later.

**Haley**:  Thanks

**DxInsider**:  Don't you just love a girl who can fight?

**Princessred**:  Well, he sort of apologizes.  Just read this chapter!

**Gloria**:  You really like exclamation points, don't you?

**Carrots461**:  Sorry it took me awhile, but you know how life gets.

**Baby309blue**:  Thanks.

**S**:  That was definitely the most fun scene to write so far!  But I have an even better one coming up (hee hee hee – not in this chapter though, unfortunately!).

**Mandy**:  Well, here it is.

**Hica Lynn**:  Thanks – I love your stories, so I really appreciate your reading mine!  

**Kate**:  Thanks – I like having Spot get annoyed too!

**Newsie-lover**:  Well, here is chapter 10!

**Ladybug**:  Well, he is regretful, but… Well, just read this chapter.

**Miss Ice**:  I'm very happy my writing could make anyone warm and fuzzy!

**Raven**:  Yeah, Race is my fave newsie, so I had to put him in there a lot.  Next I'm gonna write a fic with him as the main character.

**Lshorty**:  I know you!  And of course Spot's a jerk!  I still love him though!

**Gnat10866**:  I was wondering when someone would notice the chapter titles!  At the end of the story, I'll post an explanation for all of them.

AN:  Wow!  That was a popular chapter – 19 reviews on it!  Thanks so much.  And please go read my other newsies fic, "Have Time Machine: Will Sell Papes".  Please?

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 10

            Lizzy sat glaring at the ground, when she noticed somebody standing over her.  She glared, but then realized that Kitty was standing in front of her.  "Oh, it's you" she said.  "Sorry."

            "Do you mind if I sit down?" Kitty asked.

            "Be my guest."

            Kitty sat next to Lizzy against the statue.  "Are youse alright?" she asked tentatively.

            "Well, I'm not about to hit anyone again. Although I'm still pretty mad."

            "You should've seen the newsie's reactions.  They rushed out the door ta help you, only ta find you hitting Spot."  She giggled, and Lizzy couldn't help joining in.  

            "They've probably never seen a girl fight in their life."

            "I hadn't either" Kitty admitted.  "But I'll never forget it – especially since it was the infamous Spot Conlon you hit!"

            "Infamous?" Lizzy asked.

            "Of course" Kitty said, as if stating the obvious.  "Everybody knows that he's the toughest newsie in New York, and he's got a reputation as a lady's man."

            "Why does that not surprise me?" Lizzy asked.  "And of course, that's the person Jack picks to teach me to sell."

            "Well, he's also the best seller in all of New York.  And even though everyone knows how tough he is, he doesn't get in fights often like some of the newsies.  Back before the strike, they say that Jack Kelly got inta fights daily."

            "He probably doesn't fight so much because everyone's afraid to fight with him."

            "That doesn't stop people from fighting with Jack Kelly, and he's got quite a reputation as a good fighter.  Spot probably doesn't want to fight.  He'd find plenty of opportunities if he did."

            Lizzy looked at the ground, troubled.  So Spot didn't fight a lot, but she had managed to anger him enough to throw the first punch.

            She looked over to where all the newsies were gathered around Spot.  They were no longer trying to hold him back, which was a good sign.  He still looked incredibly mad though.

            Lizzy sighed.  "I messed up big time, didn't I?"

            "Hey, I don't know what's goin' on, but I'm sure it can't be all your fault.  Spot can certainly dish it out, but everyone knows he can't take it."  Kitty patted her arm reassuringly.  "I'm sure it'll be alright.  Just don't cave in.  It's about time a goil stood up to him."

            Lizzy smiled, but it faded as she noticed Jack walking their way, followed by Race and Blink.  They paused a few feet away and were talking in hushed voices, then they continued walking.

            "I have to get back to work now" Kitty told her.  "But I'll see youse later.  And don't forget what I'se said."

            "I won't.  And thanks.  Thanks a lot" Lizzy said sincerely.

            "No problem" Kitty grinned.  Lizzy watched as she walked towards the door of Tibby's.  Race broke off from behind Jack for a minute to talk to her.  Lizzy could see Kitty blush and Race grin as they said goodbye until three o'clock.

            Lizzy's look faded as Race joined Jack again, and Lizzy looked up to see Jack towering over her.  She quickly stood up and looked him square in the face, locking eyes with him.

            "Alright, I'm going over there to talk to him, alright?"  Lizzy sighed and slowly walked over to Spot and sat next to him on the curb.  The other newsies backed off.

            Spot continued looking at the ground, but right after Lizzy sat down, he told her "I'se shouldn't have hit youse."

            Lizzy looked at him, shocked.  Was this the great and mighty Spot Conlon speaking?  "Is that an apology?" she asked.

            Spot shrugged.  "I should've known better than ta hit a goil," he said.

            "Oh, so that's why you're apologizing" Lizzy said, annoyed.  "Because I'm a girl.  Thanks a lot Spot!"

            She stood up and began walking away.

            "What'd I say?" Spot asked, getting up and following her.  "Y'know, you are somethin' else.  I apologize, and you get upset!"

            "You apologized for all the wrong reasons!" Lizzy told him.  "You apologized because you hit a girl, not because you feel bad about the way you've been treating me."

            They had gotten close to the other newsies, and now they had an audience.  "What did I do wrong?" Spot asked, an incredulous look on his face.

            "You are so out of it!" Lizzy said.  "You think girls like to be ordered around?  You think they like to be treated like second class citizens?"

            "Whoa, just calm down Lizzy" Jack said, breaking in.  "I hate to disrupt this little love-fest, but you two have papes ta sell."

            Lizzy and Spot looked at each other, then at Jack.  "Who asked you ta but in, Jacky-boy?" Spot asked.

            "Yeah, this is our problem, not yours!  C'mon Spot, lets ignore Jack here and finish selling our papes."

            "Good idea.  See ya guys around."  Spot and Lizzy walked off, leaving a bunch of stunned newsies behind them.  "Did they just agree on something?" Race asked.  The other boys nodded, dazed.

            As soon as they were out of the boys hearing range, Lizzy turned to Spot.  "Sorry for going all ballistic on you" she told him.

            "It's OK" Spot told her, a grin on his face.  Now that it was over, it was rather entertaining to him.  "And I'm sorry for the way I've been treatin' you.  I just didn't know you'd want ta be treated different from all the other goils."

            Lizzy practically snorted.  "You really know how to get under my skin, y'know that?" she said.  "But I'm just gonna put that behind me, and accept that.  We don't have to like each other.  We just have to sell until Jack decides I'm ready to sell on my own.  That shouldn't be too long."

            "Come to think of it" Spot said, smiling, "Jack seems to be the source of all our problems.  When we get mad at each other, maybe we should just blame him."

            "Good idea" Lizzy told him, smiling at him for the first time.  She put out her hand, and Spot spit in his.  She glanced at him, then shrugged and spit in her hand too, then shook his.  Spot was aware that he was holding her hand a little longer than necessary, but he found himself getting lost in her eyes.  Then Lizzy shook her head and the moment was broken.  They continued walking down the street, until Lizzy heard a voice calling her name.

            "Oh Lizzy!" a high-pitched, female voice called.  "Hi there!"

            "Could this day get any worse?" Lizzy muttered under her breath, turning around.  Spot heard her and turned around as well, to see a girl about their age running towards them.

            "Why Lizzy I haven't seen you in ages!" the girl gushed in a rather fake voice.

            "And with good reason Mirabelle," Lizzy said sweetly, with a fake smile on her face.

            Spot looked the girl over.  She was wearing a frilly white dress and had her blonde hair done in many ringlets.  "Why, it must've been since you dropped out of school!" the girl continued.  Then she turned her gaze to Spot.  "And who is this that you're running around New York City with?" she asked disdainfully.

            "Mirabelle, this is Spot Conlon.  Spot, this is Mirabelle Elliot."

            Mirabelle's eyes lit up when she heard Spot's name.  "The Spot Conlon?" she asked.  She immediately sidled closer to Spot and took his arm. "I've heard so much about you" she simpered.  "Lizzy, how could someone like you possibly know someone like him?  We all know you're not exactly into the social scene."  She practically sneered at Lizzy.

            Spot had had enough of this.  He may not like Lizzy (so he told himself), but this girl was too much.  "Actually, Lizzy's my goilfriend" he told her, taking his arm back and putting his other arm around Lizzy.

            Mirabelle's mouth dropped open. Lizzy wanted to protest, but didn't want to make a scene in front of Mirabelle of all people, so instead she nodded and put her arm around Spot's back.  "You're going out with him?" Mirabelle asked.

            "Is she a little slow?" Spot asked Lizzy, who was still speechless.  "Anyways, we have ta go. It was nice meetin' ya Mirabelle."

            "See you later" Lizzy told her over her shoulder as she and Spot walked away.  When they got around the corner, Spot and Lizzy silently went back to selling.  After they finished selling their papes, Lizzy thanked Spot.  "You have no idea how awful Mirabelle is" she told him.

            "I got a pretty good idea of it from five minutes around her" Spot told her.

            They laughed, and then Lizzy said "she seemed to like you, though."  She grinned.

            "That's not a compliment, y'know" Spot told her.  "But I'm used ta it anyways."

            "Have you ever been told how conceited you are?" Lizzy asked him.

            "All the time."

            "You're hopeless."

            "At least I admit it."  Spot shrugged, then he grew more serious.  "Why'd you drop out of school?"

            He could see Lizzy tense up immediately.  "What makes you think I dropped out of school?" she asked carefully.

            "Uh, because Mirabelle said you did.  I'm not that stupid," he joked.  

            "I don't feel like talking about it right now" Lizzy told him.

            "Why do ya avoid the subject?  It's not like it's a bad thing."  Spot paused.  "Is it because of your father?"

            Lizzy turned suddenly.  "What do you know about my father?"

            "Race and Crutchy told me."

            Lizzy continued walking, upset.  "Well, I don't like to talk about it!" she said over her shoulder.  

            "Well maybe you should!" Spot told her.

            "Maybe you should be the first one to talk!" Lizzy told him.  "Why don't you tell me what happened to your parents first?  And what that key around your neck means?"  She stopped and faced Spot.  "I'll talk when you do."  Spot remained silent.  "Just what I thought" Lizzy said.  "I'll see you tomorrow."

            She ran down the street and into her apartment.  Spot cursed under his breath and sat down on the steps to the Lodging House.

            He was about to go inside when the door to Lizzy's apartment building opened again and Lizzy herself came out.  She came across the street and stood in front of Spot.  "James says I can't have dinner until I invite you to eat with us," she said quietly.  "So would you like to join my family for dinner?"

            She glanced up at his eyes, hopeful.  He could tell that she was trying to make up for their earlier blow up, and giving him a chance to make it up too.  "I'd be happy ta" he told her, then followed her inside.

TBC…

Review this now, c'mon!


	11. The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own any of the newsies.

SHOUT-OUTS:

**Dxinsider**:  Hee hee, and thanks for reviewing!

**illini**:  Here you are, and more is coming.

**Hica Lynn**:  Here is more, and don't be so harsh on Spot yet.  

**gloria**:  Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!  Your exclamation points really get your point across!

**Fastdancr**:  Thank you so much!

**princessred**:  Well, I didn't exactly hurry, but I hope you weren't waiting too long.

**Singah**:  Thank you very much!  And I'm glad you think they're perfect together.  I happen to think so too!

**Mushtmblr**:  Thanks!

**lshorty**:  Thank you.  And, uh, I'll be updating my other story soon too.  I just had to get this chapter out because…well, read it and you'll find out why!

**AngelicOne**:  Thanks!

**Raven**:  You really made me laugh with your "darn people in frilly white dresses!"  Hee hee!

**dragon**:  Hmm, I would have to say your nose is right!  (Am I corny or what?)

**Rae Kelly**:  I really wasn't trying to write a cliffhanger – I just wrote up to that point and wanted to get up what I had.  It seemed a good place to stop.  But that does seem to keep people coming back.

**Miss Ice**:  Well, here is more, and I apologize b/c it took a little bit.   

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 11

            Lizzy led Spot up the stairs and entered her apartment.  "He's here!" Lizzy yelled.

            What sounded like a stampede occurred as Lizzy's little siblings ran to meet Spot.  They stopped short when they saw him and were silent.

            "Spot, you've met Will.  The other two are Kathy and Frank.  Kids, meet Spot."

            "Hi!" the three said quietly, somewhat intimidated.  

            Spot smiled.  "Nice ta meet youse guys."  He followed Lizzy into the apartment and they stopped in the kitchen where James was wearing an apron, cooking dinner.

            James noticed the look Spot was giving him and laughed.  "I really don't wear this apron very often" he informed Spot.  "It's just that I've had to take over the cooking ever since Lizzy here's been selling papers.  And you must be Spot.  I'm James."

            "Nice ta meet you" Spot said, shaking James' hand.  He had the good sense not to spit in his hand before he did it, although he did have his trademark smirk on his face.

            "Lizzy, why don't you take him back to meet Papa while I finish up dinner?" James asked.

            "Follow me" Lizzy said, heading back towards her father's bedroom.  

            They entered the room, and Spot saw a man who looked a lot like Lizzy sitting up in bed, looking out the window.  "I brought you a pape today Papa" Lizzy told him.  "And I'd like you to meet Spot Conlon.  Spot, this is my Papa, Mr. Thompson."

            Spot nodded his head, trying to remember to be respectful.  He wasn't around grown-ups often and was often unsure of how to act around them.  So he said little and tried to look as inoffensive as possible.

            Mr. Thompson smiled as he took the paper.  "I'm pleased to finally meet you" he told Spot.  "My younger children have been looking forward to meeting the best newspaper seller in all of New York for days."

            "Thank you, sir" Spot said.

            "You children can come in now" Mr. Thompson called.  Sure enough, the three younger children sheepishly walked into the room from the hallway.

            "Dinner's almost ready" Kathy informed them.  "James said it will only be a few more minutes."

            "Wonderful" Mr. Thompson said.  "I hope you're hungry, Spot."

            "Eh, ya get used ta bein' hungry when you're a newsie," Spot shrugged.

            "But Lizzy doesn't go hungry" Will pointed out, "And she's a newsie."

            "Well, she doesn't eat lunch, so I suppose that counts."

            "You're not eating lunch, Lizzy?" James said, walking in the room.  "Papa, she can't starve herself like that!"

            Lizzy rolled her eyes and sent an annoyed glare at Spot.  "Papa, I'm fine, really.  I eat before I leave and I eat when I get home – lunch isn't necessary."

            "At least eat something," Papa told Lizzy.  "It doesn't have to be big.  Would you see to it that she eats something at lunch for me Spot?"

            "Sure" Spot agreed, smiling.  He recalled how he had tried to make Lizzy eat the other day – she had blown him off.  Now, however, he could be sure that she wouldn't faint on him.  (Spot had seen quite a few girls faint, and was sure that almost all were susceptible to it.)

            Lizzy sighed again.  "All right Papa."  She turned to James.  "Is dinner ready now?"

            James nodded.  "It sure is."

            The children headed into the kitchen, and Will dished out a plate for his father, then brought it back to his room.  Everyone else sat down at the table near the kitchen.  All during dinner Kathy and Frank pelted Spot with questions.  James and Will would also ask one occasionally, and sometimes Lizzy would answer for Spot.

            After they finished, everyone headed back into Mr. Thompson's room.  "We always spend our evenings in here" Lizzy explained to Spot.

            That evening, however, Lizzy and Spot did not spend it there.  As soon as they walked in, Mr. Thompson suggested that Lizzy and Spot go for a walk.  "It's so nice out, and it's still light out, so why don't you show Lizzy around the city a little, Spot?  She hasn't seen much of it since we moved here."

            "Sure" Spot said, happy to be able to leave.  He wasn't exactly nervous around Lizzy's family, he was just constantly worried that he would say or do the wrong thing.  "Maybe that does mean I'm nervous," he thought.

            Lizzy agreed, somewhat surprised, and then headed outside with Spot.

            "So, did they scare you away?" Lizzy asked, a smirk on her face. 

            "Why would you think that they would?" Spot asked, somewhat defensively.  "Ya think I don't know how ta behave myself around proper people, is that it?"  He glared at Lizzy.

            "That is *not* what I meant at all."  Lizzy moved to walk next to Spot, and stopped him by putting her hand on his arm.  "I just meant that my family – especially my little brothers and sisters – can get a little intense.  They were practically playing twenty questions with you in there.  I wouldn't be surprised if you were longing to get away."

            Spot stopped, surprised.  "I really liked your family Lizzy."

            Lizzy looked up at him.  "Honestly?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face.

            "Yup" Spot said again.

            Lizzy smiled.  "Thanks.  I'm surprised Papa didn't try to talk to you by himself.  He did that to Race and Crutchy."

            "Your father's pretty nice" Spot told her.  "Now, I don't mean ta be nosey or anythin', and ya don't have ta answer me if ya don't want ta, but how come your father can't walk?"

            Lizzy sighed.  "Do you really want to hear the whole story?" she asked.  They had reached the docks and Lizzy sat down, sticking her feet over the edge of one.  She looked up at Spot.  

            He sat down next to her and told her "Only if ya want ta tell me."

            Lizzy shrugged.  "Well, I guess it all began back when we lived in Illinois.  Papa got transferred to New York City.  That was good because Mama's mother, our grandmother, lived here.  So we moved here about four years ago.  Then, about two years ago, Mama got sick with some kind of fever.  Then Will got sick.  Then Papa, then Kathy and my little baby brother Timmy.  Frank and I were the only ones who didn't get it.  Timmy died right away, but the rest of my family was sick for a very long time.  I quit school and stayed home to care for everyone.  Our grandmother agreed to pay for our bills while Papa was sick and couldn't work.  After about two months, Mama died."  

Lizzy's voice became lower, and it was obvious that she was struggling to keep herself from crying.  "Papa and James and Kathy were still sick.  In fact, they were so sick that the doctor advised me not to tell James and Kathy that she had died.  Papa knew, but he was still so ill that he couldn't get out of bed.  Frank was only a toddler, so he stayed with a neighbor while my grandmother and I went to the funeral together.  That was the hardest day of my life, knowing that my mother had died and the rest of my family couldn't even attend the funeral."  

Lizzy started crying.  Papa never fully recovered – the doctor thinks that he was weakened by his sorrow over Mama.  James and Kathy did get well though.  We waited a very long time to tell them about Mama and Timmy.  They were devastated, but they managed to get through it."

"How did your family manage ta survive?" Spot asked quietly.

"Grandma still paid all our bills.  She's quite a mean, crotchety old lady, but she really cares about her family.  She refused to entertain the idea that James should get a job.  She knew that he wanted to go to college, so he stays home every day and studies so he can get a full scholarship to a college here in New York.  A few days ago, though, she decided that we didn't need quite so much food money, so she started giving us less.  So I became a newsie, to make enough money to supply her deficiency.  We barely had enough money before for all of us, especially with three growing children, so…" Lizzy shrugged.  "That's about it really."

"Why didn't you go back ta school?" Spot asked.

"I had been gone for three months by the time everyone was better, and it seemed a little late to go back at that point.  And besides, somebody needed to do the housework and make sure Papa was alright.  But now James has taken over all of that."

Lizzy glanced over at Spot, who was staring into the water.  

"Did I depress you?" she asked, trying to lighten her tone.

"It's alright," Spot said.   "You look like the one who needs cheering up anyways."

A single tear ran down Lizzy's cheek.  "It's not an easy story to tell."

"Here" Spot said, taking the key off from around his neck and putting it over Lizzy's head.    
            "What's this for?"

"My older sister always told me that this key was special – it was always able to cheer her up when she was feeling down."

"Really?"

"Yup.  She wore it every day of her life except the day she died, which is how I know that key is special."

"How did she die?" Lizzy asked, tentative.

"Factory accident.  That was when I became a newsie – she was the only family I ever knew, and I had no place ta go after she died."

"You should keep the key then, Spot" Lizzy said, taking it over her head.

"You keep it for a little bit" Spot said, pulling it back so it was around her neck again.  "You need it more than me right now."

"Thanks" Lizzy said, looking down.  "Thanks a lot."  She glanced up.  "It's getting dark, so I'd better get home."

They stood up and walked back along the dock towards the heart of New York.  When they reached Lizzy's house, Lizzy asked Spot if he wanted to come back inside.  "I'm sure Papa would be very pleased to talk to you some more."

Spot hesitated, but then saw the hopeful look on Lizzy's face.  "You really think your father would want ta talk ta me more?"

Lizzy nodded.  "He really likes you, I can tell."

Spot shrugged, then agreed and followed Lizzy inside.  

TBC….

PLEASE REVIEW!  I am so close to having 100 reviews, so please click on that button and leave me a little note.  I don't care if you just say "nice job" or "please write more" – just review!  Thanks!


	12. Don't Take This Personally

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own any of the newsies.  

OK, no shout-outs at the moment, I just want to post this.  I'll go back and add them in a little bit.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 12

            That night, Spot returned late to the Manhattan Lodging House.  "Hey, where've you been Spot?" Race asked when he finally entered the room.

            "Did ya have a date?" Mush asked.  "What was she like?"

            "I didn't have a date," Spot told him, annoyed.  "I had dinner with Lizzy's family."

            "Really?" Race asked, disbelieving.

            "Yeah, really" Spot told him, getting in his face.  "Don't believe me or something?"

            "Race backed off.  "Nah. It's just that you two haven't really seemed ta be getting along lately, that's all."

            Spot shrugged and headed towards his bunk.  He lay down and turned around so that his back was facing the rest of the newsies in the room.  It was his way of telling them that he didn't want to talk anymore.

            The next morning Lizzy was waiting for the newsies outside the Lodging House.  Race greeted her, noticing Spot's key around her neck.  He motioned Spot towards the back of the group so that no one else could hear them.  "Are you and Lizzy dating, Spot?"

            Spot looked at him as if he had three heads.  "Are you kidding me?  Of course not."

            "Why's she wearin' your key then?" Race asked.  "You've never let that key out of your site, we all know that."

            Spot shrugged.  "She got upset about something yesterday, so I gave ta her ta make her feel better, that's all."

            Race's mouth fell open.  "Ya really like her don't ya?"  Spot turned slightly red and denied it.  Race shrugged, but he was still grinning, obviously not believing a word Spot said.  Spot quickly moved away from Race and walked next to Lizzy.

            He informed her that they were going to be selling in Brooklyn that day, so that he could check up on his territory.  They bought their papes in Manhattan, then headed off across the bridge.  "I've never been to Brooklyn before" Lizzy told Spot, trying to break the ice.  He had been somewhat distant that morning, especially compared with yesterday. 

            "It's not all that exciting" Spot told her.  They were silent the rest of the way into Brooklyn.  They went straight to the docks, selling a few papes on the way, where Lizzy recognized two of the boys sitting there as the one's that had accompanied Spot to Medda's, that first night she had met him.  Spot introduced her quickly, but didn't tell her any of their names.  He quickly found out what had happened in his absence, then headed off with Lizzy.

            They walked all over Brooklyn that day so Spot could check on each and every one of his newsies.  He and Lizzy were both so busy selling that they didn't really have a chance for conversation.  Spot was kind of wary since his conversation with Race that morning.  Lizzy, on her part, figured that Spot was embarrassed because of how sensitive he had been the night before.  After all, he was naturally a tough, arrogant person, so he probably didn't want it to get around that Spot Conlon had tried to comfort a girl.

            They finished selling around mid-afternoon and headed back to Manhattan.  Spot got a little more talkative as they walked back.  By the time they reached Lizzy's apartment, they were so deep in conversation that they ended up standing outside for ten more minutes, talking.  Finally, Lizzy headed up into her apartment and Spot entered the Lodging House.  He met Jack as he entered the main room.  "So, I hear youse got a thing for Lizzy" Jack told him, grinning.

            Spot sighed, then glared at Jack.  "For God's sake, I just gave her my key!  It's not like we're in love or anything!  I DON'T LIKE HER!" he yelled at Jack.

            "And that's why you stood outside, talking ta her just now?" Jack said.

            Spot just pushed past him and went up to the roof, where he could be alone.  Back downstairs, Jack greeted Blink as he came in.  "Was that Spot I just saw?" Blink asked.  "What'd he say when you asked him if he liked her, like you said you would this morning?"

            "He claims he doesn't like her, but I think he does."

            "How can you be sure though?"

            "Well, because he keeps denying it.  See, this is my theory" Jack said.  "You know he never really cares about the goils he dates, he's just sort of the love 'em and leave 'em type.  I think he actually likes Lizzy, and it's kinda scarin' him.  'Cause that means he could get hurt."

            Blink stared at Jack. "How'd ya figure all that out?"

            "Well, I have known him since he was five.  And I knew she'd be perfect for him, I just didn't think he'd fall for her so fast."

            "How are ya going to get him to admit he likes her though?"

            "Just give him time.  I'm pretty sure he'll admit it on his own eventually.  If he doesn't before he goes back to Brooklyn, then we'll have to take action."

            Blink grinned.  "Sounds like a plan."

*************************

            About a week later, Spot and Lizzy were still selling together.  By that time, Lizzy was the only newsie who had no idea that Spot liked her.  Well, except for Spot that is.  Lizzy considered herself and Spot as friends, and nothing more.  In fact, when James hinted that Lizzy liked Spot, she blew him off.  

            Race and Kitty had quickly become an "item", and Lizzy and Kitty were getting to be better and better friends each day.  In one week, Lizzy's family had had Kitty and Race, then Spot over to dinner.

            By this time, Lizzy was selling one hundred papers a day practically by herself.  "Well, you're almost a real newsie" Spot told her.  "There's just one more thing ya have ta learn."

            "What's that?" Lizzy asked cautiously, distrusting the tone of Spot's voice.

            "Ya gotta learn how ta pickpocket."

            "Spot, I am *not* going to learn how to pickpocket, end of story."  She began walking away from the Distribution Office, but Spot grabbed her arm and held her back.

            "C'mon, youse gotta learn.  Besides, it's not that hard.  The only thing ya have ta worry about is the bulls."

            "Oh, only the bulls?" Lizzy said, sarcastically.  "It's not like they can really do anything to you.  Just put you in jail, Spot."

            "Well, ya don't get caught, that's all."

            "And you think you can pickpocket without getting caught?" Lizzy asked, disbelieving.

            Spot nodded smugly.  "I've never gotten caught before."

            "Prove it."

            "Follow me."  Spot handed Lizzy his papes, then headed off down the street, Lizzy behind him.  They got to a busy square and Spot stopped.  "Just watch closely," he told Lizzy.

            Lizzy watched him follow a man in a nicely dressed suite.  He got closer and closer, and finally reached into the man's pocket.  Lizzy was watching so intently, and Spot was concentrating so hard on getting the man's wallet, that neither noticed the police officer standing across the square.  He blew his whistle and started running towards Spot.

            Spot quickly ran away, grabbing Lizzy's arm.  They both ran down the road, the policeman following them.  They turned down one street, when Lizzy caught sight of Mush.  "Here!" she said, shoving her and Spot's papes into Mush's arms.  She and Spot kept running down the street, glancing back as the policeman came closer.

            They turned down one street, then another, then another, scattering people as they went.  Pretty soon they reached the fanciest part of Manhattan – the area with all the massive court and federal buildings made of marble.  "Give me your hat!" Lizzy told Spot breathlessly.  

            "Why?"

            "Just do it!" Lizzy yelled back.

            Spot gave her his cap, and he put on hers.  They were just going around a corner, and Lizzy saw the large courthouse ahead of them.  "Here!" she said, running around the courthouse steps that jutted far into the sidewalk.  She grabbed Spot's arm and pulled him to the far side of the steps, where the policeman would be sure not to see them as he came around the corner.  He might see them as he ran by, Lizzy realized, so she stood with her back to the wall that met the steps, grabbed Spot's upper arms, told him "Don't take this personally", leaned in, and kissed him.

            Lizzy hadn't meant to actually kiss Spot, she had just meant to make it look like they were kissing, so the policeman would pass right by.  But their lips actually met, and it was too late.  

            It took Spot about two seconds to react.  He was shocked at first, but immediately after their lips met, Lizzy felt his arms go around her waste, pulling her closer.  Her first thought was to pull away, but, almost without consulting her, she found her arms move up, around Spot's neck.  Lizzy felt feelings rising in her that she hadn't even been aware were there.  Even though she had said that Spot was just a friend, she finally realized that he had become so much more.

            The policeman, who was looking for a boy in a brown cap and a girl in a gray cap, barely even noticed the boy in the gray cap and the girl in the brown cap who were kissing right where the courthouse steps met the building.  He passed right by Spot and Lizzy and continued running down the street, stopping at the corner and deciding to turn to the right.

            Spot and Lizzy were still kissing long after the policeman disappeared.  "Spot?  Lizzy?" they heard a voice say.  It was Mush, who had followed them with their papes.  They both jumped apart guiltily.  Neither seemed to be able to look at the other.

            "We were just trying to fool the bulls," Spot explained.

            Lizzy looked at him, hurt.  "Yeah" she agreed, somewhat halfheartedly.  She had hoped their kiss had meant something to Spot, like it had to her.  She grabbed some of the papes from Mush.  "I'd better finish selling."

            She walked off down the street, dazed and confused, and depressed.  "Aren't you going to go after her or something?" Mush asked Spot quietly.

            Spot shrugged.  "She obviously didn't want me to go with her," he said, believing it.  He grabbed his papes from Mush and headed off in the opposite direction.

            "But you just kissed her Spot!" Mush called after her.

            Spot pretended that he didn't hear that and continued walking.  He was too confused – he needed to sort out what had happened.

*****************************

            That night, in the Lodging House, all the newsies were talking about what had happened.  Jack was beside himself with happiness, convinced that he had just arranged the perfect match.  Mush tried to tell him that he didn't think that was the case, but Jack was sure that he was right.  

Spot was nowhere to be seen, but they figured he was eating dinner with Lizzy's family and didn't worry.  When it got to be late and he didn't come in, Race decided to look for him.  The first place he checked was the roof of the Lodging House.  Sure enough, Spot was up there, sitting by himself.

"Heya Spot" Race said quietly.

"Oh, hi Race" Spot replied.  "Guess you've come to interrogate me about what happened today, huh?"

"No.  We were just wondering where you were."  He shrugged.  "And I wanted to congratulate you and Lizzy.  We all knew you two would come to your senses eventually."

"She doesn't like me Race" Spot said.  "She just kissed me to keep us from getting arrested, and she was obviously disgusted afterwards."

"That's not what Mush said," Race told him.

"Well what does he know?"

"He said that you were the one who said you two were kissing to get away from the bulls, and she seemed upset after that."

Spot just shook his head.

"Spot, come to your senses!  You haven't even taken the trouble to find out her feelings, and you're blowing her off!"

"That's enough!" Spot yelled.  "Leave me alone Race, you don't know what you're talking about."

Race sighed.  There was no getting through to him.

***************************

The next morning Spot avoided Lizzy like the plague.  When they reached the Distribution Office, he announced that she was ready to sell papes by herself.  Jack and Race looked at each other, alarmed.  "Well sure" Jack said.  "That's fine, as long as she can prove that she's a true newsie.  Then you can go back to Brooklyn."

Jack winked at Race, and walked over to Spot.  "She sells two hundred papes today by herself today, and you can return to Brooklyn."

TBC…

REVIEW!  And go read my other story, "Have Time Machine: Will Sell Papes".  It's funny, I promise!


	13. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Hello all!  Don't worry, I'm not stopping this fic.  It's my baby, hee hee!  I'm just writing to apologize for not updating sooner.  See, I just got into "My Fair Lady", and for the past week I've had rehearsals every day until 6:30, and sometimes until 8:00.  So I've been busy.  And now, I'm leaving for vacation.  But never fear, when I get back in nine days, I'll hopefully have more to post.

What can you do in the meantime?  GO READ MY OTHER FIC.  I'm not gonna be super-nasty and not write anymore of this fic until I get more reviews on my other one, but I would really, really love it if you would review it.  

Thank you all so much for reviewing this so far – I would've never written so much if it weren't for all of you guys!  Now I have to go, but hopefully I'll get lots of writing done over vacation.

-Dreamcoat


	14. 200 Papes and Counting

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the newsies.

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 13

Lizzy sighed. "I don't have enough money to buy 200 papes today" Lizzy told Jack. "I can bring enough tomorrow though."

"Fair enough" Jack agreed. "In the meantime, you and Spot can continue selling together." He grinned and walked away.

Lizzy quickly bought her papes and turned towards Spot. "Ready?" she asked.

Spot nodded and they headed off down the street. They concentrated most of the day on selling, not talking to each other a lot, still feeling awkward. They headed to Tibby's at lunchtime, but were surprised to find that they were the only newsies there. They sat down together at one of the empty booths and ordered. Lizzy was the first to break the ice. "Do you really think I'm ready to become a full-fledged newsie, so to speak?" she asked him.

"You've been ready to sell by yourself for ages" Spot answered. "But you won't be selling by yourself for a while anyways."

"Why is that?" Lizzy asked. 

"'Cause you sure as heck can't sell 200 papes by yourself. Not tomorrow, not in a month, not in a year. You just can't. So Jack won't let me leave yet."

"You think it's impossible for me to sell 200 papes?" Lizzy asked slowly.

"Oh, it's not just you" Spot said half-heartedly. "Nobody can, so you might as well not even try."

"Your optimism is overwhelming Spot Conlon" Lizzy told him sarcastically. "I happen to think that there's a chance that I can sell 200 papes. And since you obviously want to get away from me so much, I'm guaranteeing you that I *will* sell 200 papes tomorrow."

With that, Lizzy got up and left, leaving Spot to wonder how he had made such a huge mess of everything. 

*************************

The next morning, Lizzy had a plan and was ready to put it in action. "Are you up to this?" Jack asked her.

She didn't answer, but instead put down her money for two hundred papes. "I'll see you boys later" she told them, walking away and leaving the rest of the newsies to buy their papes.

She headed straight to a place where she knew she'd be able to appeal to people if she played her cards right – Lilian Ward's South Street Settlement House. Although it was technically a place for immigrants to become acquainted with American customs and language, everyone knew that it was also the center of women's suffrage and social reform advocates in New York City.

She soon arrived and began peddling her headlines – only she gave them a different spin than those that the boys gave them. She related them to suffrage, reforms, the political situation of the city, the plight of the workers and unions. Almost everyone who walked into the Settlement House bought a pape, as well as many of the people on the street. She also shouted about how necessary it was for immigrants to read the papers – to gain English skills and become acquainted with city life and politics. Then she moved on to talk about how women needed to keep up with the political happenings of the city if they ever hoped to convince the state that they deserve the vote.

It was a novel approach, and it worked like a charm. By 11:00, Lizzy had already sold half of her papes. She didn't stop for lunch, but plowed through the day. Occasionally she would catch sight of another newsie watching her, but generally she ignored them and concentrated on selling. 

By four, she was done. She had done the impossible, what no one else had done before. But she felt strangely empty. She sighed and headed towards Tibby's, hoping to find some of the other newsies in the area. Jack was right near the Horace Greely statue, waiting for her, along with a large group of newsies. 

"Given up, have you?" Jack asked.

"Not too bright, are you Jack?" Lizzy said jokingly, opening her arms to show her empty hands. "I sold them all."

"No way!" Jack said, as a murmer passed through the crowd of boys. 

"Here's the money I made. You can count it and see. And I'm pretty sure you had spies enough around me to know that I didn't ditch any of my papes."

Jack counted the money, stunned. He had never in a million years thought that she could actually do it. "Shall we celebrate?" Lizzy asked, smiling at the disbelief still written across his face.

The whole crowd followed her into Tibby's, as they surrounded her at a table, asking her questions about how she had done it. She didn't answer a single one, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Spot walked in with Race. He headed over to the table and addressed Jack. "So, have you relented?" he asked.

"There's no need to" Jack replied. "She did it."

"Way to go Lizzy!" Race said, the first one to actually congratulate her.

"Thanks Race."

Jack was still trying to milk the situation for all it was worth. "Aren't you disappointed Spot?" he asked. "'Cause you're still welcome to stay."

Spot glared at him, knowing full well what he was up to. "I'm heading back to Brooklyn tomorrow, end of story."

Race and Jack looked at Lizzy, who was looking down at the table, avoiding all eye contact. Jack didn't push the issue further, and the conversation moved on. About a half hour later, the whole crowd of newsies headed out of Tibby's.

They were walking towards the Lodging House for a game of poker when they say Lizzy's sister Kathy running towards them. "Lizzy!" she shouted.

"What's wrong?" Lizzy asked, her mind immediately worrying about her father.

"Grandmother wants us to come over for dinner! Now! You'd better get home and change in a hurry!"

"I'll probably come over to the Lodging House for that poker game after dinner" Lizzy told the boys quickly. "I have to go right now."

Lizzy and Kathy hurried away. "Is their grandmother that much of an ogre?" Race asked jokingly.

"No" Spot said. "I think she just likes her own way, and their whole family complies with whatever she wants because she supports them."

The rest of the newsies stared at him in amusement. "Know all about her family, do you?" Jack asked, half seriously, half jokingly.

Spot merely glared and stalked off down the street by himself. "Will you be playing poker with us later?" Jack called after him.

"I haven't decided yet" Spot yelled back.

"I hope he's there" Jack told Race. "That's our last chance, before he leaves for Brooklyn at any rate."

TBC…

Next chapter, Lizzy's dinner w/ her grandmother, and the poker game and stuff. Please review!


	15. Untitled

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own any of the newsies.

Author's Note:  Sorry this took me so long!  I'm in a play this week and next weekend, and I've had rehearsals everyday until 6 or 8, so I've been very busy.  But here's an extra nice chapter for you!

A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 14

             "Hurry up!" Kathy yelled to Lizzy through their bedroom door.

             "I'll be right out," Lizzy replied.

             "Well the boys already left!"

             Lizzy walked out of their bedroom, wearing a neat, dark-green dress with sleeves that came right past her elbows.  It brought out the tints in her brown hair and the green in her greenish-blue eyes.  She had on clean black stockings and her best pair of shoes.  "I can't do anything about my hair" she said with a sigh, referring to how her hair had been escaping from its braid all day.  She took Spot's key from where it was around her neck and dropped it inside her shirt so that it would not be easily noticeable.  "Let's go."

             "Good-bye Papa!" they called as they rushed out of the door.

             "Have a nice time" he called back to them.

             Lizzy and Kathy ran almost the entire twenty blocks to their grandmother's lavish townhouse.  "Did you leave Papa some food on a tray in his room?" Lizzy asked right after they left.

             "Will took care of it before he left" Kathy told her.

             About a block before they reached their grandmother's street, they caught up with the boys, who had left on time and therefore did not have to run the entire way.

             "You look nice Lizzy" James told her.  "Except maybe you should take out your hair."

             "Alright."  Lizzy undid her long braid and let her hair hang down her back in waves.  She took the pins that had been in it and put them closer to her face so her hair would stay back a little.

             The five children walked up to their grandmother's house and rang the doorbell.  "Thank you, Mr. Wentworth" they said to the butler as they passed inside.

             "You children should have been here earlier," he whispered to them as he led them upstairs.  It was a kindly, not a scolding whisper.  He had know the children since their family first moved to New York, and he was very fond of them.  "She's in one of her moods."

             "Thanks for the warning" James told him right before they entered the parlor.

             "Ah, children!" came a sharp voice from inside.  There sat their grandmother, regal as always with her fancy dress trimmed in lace, sitting in her large chair with a cat on her lap.  She watched as her grandchildren filed into the room, a momentary smile on her face.  It faded into a frown, however, as she told them "You're three minutes late!"

             "We're sorry Grandmother" Lizzy said.  She didn't mention that they were late because she had been selling papes – that was something the entire family had agreed to keep from dear old Granny.  They knew she would have a conniption fit if she discovered that any grandchild of _hers_ was selling anything on the streets.

             "Make sure it doesn't happen again," she said as if granting a royal pardon.  The children nodded.  "And for heavens sake, don't slouch Frank.  How do you expect to grow taller with such horrible posture?"  All of the children simultaneously stood up a little straighter.  "That's better" Grandmother said graciously.  "Now please have a seat."

             They all sat down carefully on the chairs and sofas.  All of their Grandmother's furniture was nicer to look at than it was practical.  And they knew what would happen if they broke something.

             They sat for about five minutes, making polite small talk, until Mr. Wentworth entered the room and announced that dinner is served.  They all walked into the dining room and sat down.  They said a quick grace, and then began their first course.  In between bites, Grandmother said "So how is your studying coming along, James?"

             "Oh, it's progressing wonderfully.  I'm sure that if I continue working as hard as I am, I'll be completely prepared for the scholarship test."

             "That's coming up soon, isn't it?"

             "It's in six weeks."

             "Well mind you study hard," she lectured.  "Don't slack off.  And let your sister take care of the housework – you concentrate on your studies."

             Lizzy and James shared a slightly amused glance across the table.  "And what was that for?" Grandmother asked, her sharp eyes detecting Lizzy and James' amusement.

             "It's just that Lizzy never lets James do anything," Will piped up, seeing that both his older siblings had no good answer to give.  

             "Well, see that it stays that way" Grandmother replied.  "And how is everything going with you, Lizzy?"

             "Oh, just fine Grandmother."

             Her grandmother looked over at her thoughtfully.  "How old are you now?"

             "I'm sixteen."

             "Have you had any proposals yet?"

             "What?" Lizzy was so startled that she forgot to be polite.  Seeing the glare on her grandmother's face, she changed her statement to "I beg you pardon?"

             "Well, I admit you're a bit young to be married, but you're almost never too young to have a proposal.  Mind that you don't refuse anyone just yet – you want to have as big a selection as possible to pick from when you are able to marry."

             "Yes Grandmother" Lizzy said, not having the slightest intention of following this piece of advice.

             Her grandmother's attention now turned to Will.  She asked him about school.  Then she asked Kathy how her sewing was coming along.  Then she moved along to Frank, asking him how he was doing in Reading.  When she had interrogated each of her grandchildren, she decided that she had been friendly enough and was silent through the rest of the meal.  The children followed her example and didn't say a word until they retired to the parlor again after they had finished eating.

             They all sat down for about five minutes until their grandmother announced that she was tired, therefore they were allowed to return home.  "Goodnight Grandmother" they all chimed as they gave her a kiss on the right cheek and headed out of the house.

****************************

             Instead of going home with the rest of her family, Lizzy headed over to the Lodging House.  "It's Spot's last night in Manhattan and we're having a poker game to celebrate.  And I have something I have to give him."

             "Make sure you're not out too late" James warned before they separated right in front of their apartment building.

             Lizzy headed into the front room of the Lodging House and said hello to Kloppman, who was sitting at the front desk.  "Why hello Lizzy" Kloppman said, by now used to the sight of her.

             "Very well, thank you.  Are the boys upstairs?"

             "Yup.  They're playing poker I do believe."

             "Thanks.  I'll see you later."

             Lizzy walked up the main staircase until she reached the first level.  She peaked through the door to the boy's bunkroom.  She didn't see Spot anywhere among the poker players, so she headed up the stairs, towards the roof.

             She entered silently, and looking around saw Spot sitting in one of the far corners.  She walked about halfway across the roof, then stopped and said quietly "Hello Spot".

             Spot looked up, startled.  He saw Lizzy and relaxed.  "Hi" he replied.

             Lizzy continued walking and sat down next to him.  "I had a feeling you'd be up here" she said, smiling a little.

             "Why's that?" Spot asked, trying to sound uninterested.  Lizzy wasn't fooled.

             "Come on, Spot, I've been selling with you for how long now?  Almost three weeks.  You get to know someone pretty well when you spend that much time with them."

             "Oh" Spot said.

             They were silent for a moment.  Lizzy reached around her neck and pulled Spot's key over her head.  She had been wearing it under her dress.  She handed it to Spot and told him "Here's your key back.  Thank's so much for loaning it to me for awhile.  It meant a lot to me."

             "You're welcome" Spot said in a slightly glum voice.  He then stood up and moved over to one of the walls that faced the west, where the sun was setting.  Lizzy stood up and followed him.

             They both stood looking at the horizon for a little bit until Lizzy finally spoke up.  "The sunset's really beautiful."

             Spot turned and looked at her.  "It is beautiful" he agreed, but he wasn't talking about the sunset.  Lizzy glanced at him and blushed slightly.

             She looked back at the sunset again.  She took a deep breath and said "Spot, there's something I have to tell you, or I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

             "What is it?"

             She glanced at him.  "I just need to tell you how much I'm going to miss you.  You've really become a, uh, a great friend over the past few weeks, and I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am that you're leaving."

             "Do you mean that?" Spot asked, looking into her eyes. 

             She nodded.  "With all my heart."  Her eyes gave away all the feelings she was trying to hide from Spot in the name of friendship.

             That was all Spot needed, so he leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips, and Lizzy found herself returning the kiss immediately.

             A few minutes later, they broke apart, Spot's arm still around Lizzy's waist and Lizzy's hand still on Spot's shoulder.  They looked at each other for a little while, each unsure of what to say first.

             Spot glanced down and then back at Lizzy.  "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked her, an anxious look in his eyes.

             Lizzy smiled and nodded.  Spot grinned and kissed her again, only this time Lizzy broke away.  "But what about the fact that you're going to be in Brooklyn and I'm going to be in Manhattan?"

             "I could stay here," Spot suggested.

             "I can't let you do that," Lizzy argued.  "You're Brooklyn's leader, and they count on you, and don't even try to tell me that you don't enjoy being the head of the Brooklyn newsies."

             "Alright" Spot agreed.  "I'm going to Brooklyn.  I'll just have to make more of an effort to come to Manhattan more often, or throw more poker parties in Brooklyn."

             Lizzy nodded, thinking.  "Maybe we should make this on a trial basis."

             "What?" Spot asked, surprised.

             "I really, really like you Spot, and I really want to be your girlfriend, but we have to face reality. It might not work out because of where we live."

             Spot sighed, but then looked at Lizzy and caved.  "All right.  I'll do my best to prove to you that we can do this."

             Lizzy grinned.  "Great.  And let's not tell the rest of the newsies," she said with a mischievous look on her face.

             Spot looked momentarily confused, then glanced at Lizzy and understood.  He laughed.  "It would serve them right for all the matchmaking they tried to do!"

             "Then we're agreed?" Lizzy asked.

             "Agreed" Spot nodded as they sat down against the wall, Spot's arm around Lizzy, talking until it was time for Lizzy to return home.

TBC…


	16. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the newsies except for the characters I created.  
  
A NEWSIES LIFE  
  
CHAPTER 15  
  
Spot left for Brooklyn the next morning, like he said he would. Before the newsies picked up their papes, they all stood around, saying goodbye.  
  
"You sure you don't want to stay?" Jack asked, almost pleading with Spot, but not quite.  
  
"I have to go back to my boys" Spot told him firmly.  
  
Jack leaned towards him confidentially. "But you and Lizzy were getting along so well, Spot. Don't you wanna see how that goes?"  
  
Spot suppressed a grin. "No thanks Jacky-boy." He turned to Race who was standing next to Jack. "I'll see you later Race," he said, nodding his head.  
  
"It was nice having you around, Spot" Race told him. "Sort of like old times. If you ever need to come back, y'know, we're here."  
  
Spot looked surprised. It was the first time in years that anyone had told him that they enjoyed his company (except for Lizzy, of course). "Thanks" he said.  
  
"Yeah, we'll miss having you around on poker nights" Mush spoke up.  
  
Blink nodded. "Yeah, so maybe head over here some nights."  
  
Spot nodded again. He mussed up Les's hair and then said a quick goodbye to David. He then headed over to Lizzy. "Bye Lizzy" he said quickly, not meeting her eyes so he wouldn't give away their relationship.  
  
"Bye Spot" she said quickly. "Thanks for teaching me to sell papes."  
  
Spot then left the newsies, but he didn't head straight into Brooklyn. He and Lizzy had agreed to meet near the Brooklyn Bridge right after she picked up her papes.  
  
Right after Spot disappeared, the newsies headed into the Distribution Office to get their papes. "So who are you going to sell with today?" Race asked Lizzy. "After selling 200 papes, you could pretty much have your pick of all the newsies."  
  
Lizzy shook her head. "I'm selling by myself from now on" she informed Race and all the other newsies around him. "I don't need a partner to help me sell my papes, so I won't have one."  
  
Half of the newsies cursed under their breath. They were hoping to get Lizzy to sell with them.  
  
Lizzy walked up to the window. "One hundred papes please" she said, putting her money down. She noticed the odd looks she was getting from the newsies. "I don't feel like working too hard today" she informed them as she walked away.  
  
She was the first one out of the gate and she moved quickly so that none of the other newsies would see where she was going.  
  
She reached the Brooklyn Bride and looked around for Spot. He was nowhere in site. "Lizzy!" came a voice from behind her. She turned around and grinned as she saw Spot walk out of a nearby alley.  
  
Lizzy smiled as she walked towards Spot. "Hi" she said a little shyly.  
  
Spot gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It was really hard not to give us away back there" Spot told her.  
  
"I know" Lizzy agreed. "But it was worth it! It'll be interesting to see what they're planning next."  
  
"Yeah, it's pretty obvious that Jack's got something up his sleeve." He put his arm around Lizzy's waist. "But I really don't want to spend my time with you talking about Jack" he said.  
  
Lizzy smiled. "Well, what did you have in mind?" she asked, as they sat down on a crate in the alley.  
  
"First of all, I want you to keep this" Spot said, handing her the key that she had returned just the night before.  
  
Lizzy opened her mouth to protest, but she saw the earnest look on Spot's face and quieted down. She nodded. Spot put the key around her neck and she tucked it under the front of her dress. "Thank you." She looked at Spot and asked him "Where did the key come from? I know it was your sister's, but where did she get it?"  
  
"I'm not sure where she got it. I think she had it when she immigrated to America with me."  
  
"Where were your parents?"  
  
"They died in Ireland, I'm not quite sure how. I was really little, about three, and my sister, Catherine, was about fifteen years older than me."  
  
"Fifteen? In between the two of you?"  
  
Spot nodded. They had had two other children, but my mother had miscarried both times. Anyways, when my parents died my sister's best friend, Mary, had already moved to America. She had written my sister about her job in the factory and the apartment she lived in with her family. Catherine decided that she would be able to support us better by moving to America. We stayed with her Mary's family until Catherine got a job, then we moved into our own small apartment. During the day I would still stay with Mary's family, though, because I was too young to stay by myself."  
  
"How old were you when Catherine died?" Lizzy asked quietly.  
  
"About seven."  
  
"Seven? That young?"  
  
"Yes. Mary offered to let me stay with them, but I was so upset that I wouldn't listen to her and instead just wandered the streets. I never found my way back to that neighborhood, but I was lucky because Indy, the leader of the Manhattan newsies at that point, found me and offered to let me be a newsie. That was the same day I met Jack and Race and Blink – they were all newsies too."  
  
"Wow" Lizzy said. "How old were they?"  
  
"Jack was ten, Blink was eight, and Race was my age."  
  
"So you've known them for nine years?"  
  
"And lived with them for five."  
  
"What happened when you were twelve?"  
  
"I got offered to train to be the leader of Brooklyn, and I took the offer. I missed my friends, but I forced myself not to look back. We sort of grew apart, but these past three weeks have sort of brought back what we lost."  
  
"You were good friends with them back then?"  
  
"The best. Newsies are always loyal, but we were more than that. We were more like brothers."  
  
Spot glanced up at the sun. "It's getting late" he said regretfully. "You're going to have to go sell your papes."  
  
"I suppose you're right" Lizzy agreed. "When can we see each other again?"  
  
"I'll have one of my newsies give you a message soon. I'm going to have to check what's happening all over my territory for a while."  
  
Lizzy nodded. "All right then." She stood awkwardly for a little bit.  
  
Spot surprised her by talking first. "I'll miss you."  
  
"I'll miss you too" she replied. "Bye."  
  
Spot kissed her, then said goodbye and headed across the bridge. Lizzy finally headed off to sell her papes.  
  
****************************  
  
Meanwhile, while Lizzy and Spot were saying good-bye, Jack, Race, Blink, David and Mush were working on a plan in Tibby's.  
  
"It had better work" David said.  
  
"Of course it will" Jack told him confidently. "If this won't get them together, nothing will. Hey Boots," he said, yelling across the restaurant.  
  
"Yeah Jack?" Boots asked, eager to please.  
  
"Find me Bumlets. Tell him I need to see him right away."  
  
"Sure thing, Jack" Boots said, rushing off.  
  
TBC… 


	17. It won't work...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Newsies.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A lot of my reviewers have been complaining that I took too long to post more. I'm really sorry everyone, but I am only human and I've been really busy. But I've got this story all planned out and it should be ending in about five or six more chapters, then I might write a sequel. So, yeah, that's about it, and please REVIEW!  
  
A NEWSIES LIFE  
  
CHAPTER 16  
  
The weeks were going by and summer had turned into fall. September began and was about halfway-over. Spot and Lizzy had been seeing each other for about a month, and miraculously had managed to keep their relationship a secret from the newsies.  
  
There had been a few times when Lizzy went over the Bridge to sell with Spot in Brooklyn, and Spot had also managed to come see Lizzy a few times.  
  
Lizzy had told her family about her and Spot, but she made sure that they knew not to tell any of the newsies.  
  
Soon it started to get very cold in New York, and Jack and his newsies decided it was time to put their plan into action. Bumlets had already agreed to their plan, but now they had to enlist Kitty's help.  
  
*************************  
  
Which is why the newsies found themselves sitting in Tibby's on September 16 after they had finished selling their papes. "Hi Kitty" Race greeted her, giving her a kiss.  
  
"Hi Race" Kitty replied, smiling. She looked at all the newsies around Race. "What's going on?"  
  
"We need your help with something."  
  
"What is it?" Kitty asked, getting worried because of the serious looks on everyone's faces.  
  
"Can you take a quick break from work?" Jack asked her.  
  
"Sure, hold on a minute."  
  
Kitty disappeared into the kitchen and was back in a minute. She sat down next to Race and across from Jack. She listened as they told her their plan.  
  
Afterwards, she just shook her head. "Did anybody ever tell you guys that you're crazy?" She got up out of the booth. "I don't want to have anything to do with your plan."  
  
"Oh, come on Kitty" Race pleaded with her.  
  
"Race, it won't work," she said as gently as possible. "Even if you guys manage to pull it off (which I doubt) it still probably won't get Spot and Lizzy together. And it's dangerous."  
  
"They won't get hurt," Jack promised her.  
  
"I'm not talking about Spot and Lizzy!" Kitty exclaimed. "I meant that it's dangerous for you guys! They'll kill you when they discover what you guys are doing!"  
  
"It'll be fine" Jack tried to assure her. "We've got it all worked out – they'll never find out that it was us!"  
  
Kitty rolled her eyes. "You guys are hopeless!"  
  
"Then you'd better help us anyways!" Race told her. He grabbed her hand. "Don't you want Lizzy and Spot to have what we have?"  
  
Kitty smiled in spite of herself, and then sat down. "Well sure. But how do you know they don't already have that?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Jack asked her.  
  
"I mean that Spot and Lizzy might already be a couple! I've suspected it for awhile now."  
  
Race laughed. "Come on, they're not a couple! They haven't said a word to us, and Lizzy would never get in a relationship without telling us."  
  
"Please help us?" Jack asked again.  
  
Kitty sighed. "I'll never hear the end of this if I say no, will I?"  
  
Jack smiled and nodded. "All right" Kitty finally agreed. "I'll help you guys. I just want you to know that I think it's stupid and I take no responsibility for anything that happens!"  
  
"Great!" Jack and Race exclaimed.  
  
"First thing we need you to do is invite Lizzy to come with you to visit your grandmother," Jack instructed her.  
  
"But I live with my grandmother" Kitty told him. "And Lizzy knows that."  
  
"Invite her to come with you to visit your other grandmother."  
  
"I don't have another grandmother."  
  
"Make one up!" Jack told her, frustrated.  
  
Kitty shrugged. "All right, I'll go over to her house tonight and invite her. And where does this grandmother live?"  
  
"How about Indiana?" Race told her. "Tell her you two will take a train there in two weeks, and that your grandmother will pay for the tickets."  
  
"OK." Kitty got up. "I have to get back to work now." She gave Race a kiss and smiled. "But I still don't think it will work."  
  
TBC…  
  
AN: What are the newsies up to? Review to find out! 


	18. A Party is a Party, but a Party on a Sum...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the newsies. I only wish I did. They all belong to Disney.  
  
A NEWSIES LIFE  
  
CHAPTER 17  
  
That night, Kitty showed up at Lizzy's apartment, just like she'd promised Race. There were a few times she stopped in her tracks and almost turned around and walked right back to Tibby's, but a promise was a promise.  
  
She knocked on the door to their apartment, and Lizzy answered.  
  
"Kitty!" she said happily as she motioned her in the room. "How are you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm good" Kitty told her.  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
"No, I ate at Tibby's. I came because I need to ask you something."  
  
"What is it?" Lizzy asked.  
  
"Well, I'm going to visit my grandmother in two weeks" Kitty began explaining. When she caught the look on Lizzy's face, she quickly amended "Not the grandmother I live with, this is my father's mother. Anyways, she told me I could bring a friend with me, and I was wondering if you would like to come for a long weekend."  
  
"I would love to!" Lizzy said excitedly. "Where does your grandmother live?"  
  
"Indiana."  
  
"Oh" Lizzy's face fell. "Then we're going to take a train there?"  
  
"Yes, but my grandmother always pays for the train tickets."  
  
Lizzy's face lit up again. "Great! That was my only concern – we don't have any extra money for that sort of thing."  
  
"Yeah, don't worry about it at all" Kitty told her. "I have to go now" she said, anxious to avoid further questions about her "grandmother". "Grandma is expecting me back soon."  
  
"All right" Lizzy said. "I wish you could stay longer. I'll ask Papa tonight and tell you if I can come. I can't imagine he would object, though."  
  
"Great!" Kitty headed towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow then."  
  
She opened the door and waved goodbye, then closed it behind her. "Whew!" she thought. That was much more lying than she liked.  
  
**************************  
  
Mr. Thompson said yes, of course, and Lizzy was really looking forward to the trip. The day before they were supposed to leave, the Manhattan newsies planned a party for them at Medda's. Lizzy would spend the night at Kitty's house afterwards, then they would "leave" the next morning on the train.  
  
Lizzy didn't really care one way or another about the party, until she heard that Spot would be there.  
  
On the way to Irving Hall, Lizzy walked next to Boots and Blink. "So why does Medda let the newsies have parties in her theatre?" she asked them.  
  
"It's 'cause her son was a newsie," Blink explained. "His name was Splinter, and he didn't live with us in the Lodging House, he lived with his mother, sort of like David lives with his family."  
  
"What happened to Splinter?"  
  
"He moved out" Boots told her. "He's somewhere out west now. Still writes to Medda though."  
  
"Yeah. She started letting us have parties at Irving Hall when her son was one of us, now that he's gone she still lets us use it, sort of in memory of her son, if you know what I mean." Blink told her.  
  
Lizzy nodded. "I think I get it," she said.  
  
They entered the theatre through the front door, and Lizzy was surprised to find the place practically swamped with newsies and girls. She raised her eyebrows. Apparently word about these parties had spread.  
  
Blink and Boots immediately bolted to find people they knew, and Lizzy was left standing by herself. She looked around a little bit, and seeing no one she knew in the entrance foyer, decided to wander around a bit.  
  
Lizzy discovered quickly that she didn't really like parties. She'd never been to one and there were too many people that she didn't know, and their was too much noise. She was surprised to find that she felt uncomfortable, as if everyone was scrutinizing her.  
  
She went along the edge of the room, trying to remain unnoticed while she observed everyone in the room. She entered the theatre, which had people all over it. She noticed Jack somewhat far away, sitting with a girl that Lizzy assumed was his girlfriend. She hadn't met David's sister Sarah yet, but from what she could gather she was a perfect little lady who didn't go out much. Lizzy hated people like that – they made her feel so inadequate.  
  
Seeing no one she knew very well that was close to her or unoccupied (Mush was nearby, but he seemed pretty caught up in his girlfriend, Della), Lizzy decided to grab a chair and sit in the corner where she could observe pretty much everything in the theatre, and everyone who entered and exited, without being very noticeable.  
  
She sat down and glanced over the people in the theatre. Some looked like they were having a good time. Some looked like they were having too good a time. And there were some that were trying to make it look like they were having a good time. Lizzy would watch each person, trying to determine which of these categories he or she fell into.  
  
Her eyes then rested on a large group of people. Certainly this group was having a very good time she determined. They were mostly girls, although there were a few boys that seemed to be hanging around for the sake of the girls. Lizzy watched a newsie that she recognized as a Brooklyn one walk through the crowd, towards the center.  
  
The girls had to clear slightly so that he could get through, and there, in the middle, was Spot. He was surround by girls, and their attention was completely focused on him. A flash of jealousy went through Lizzy, but then as she continued watching, she noticed that he didn't look very happy. Rather, he looked somewhat impatient and annoyed with all the girls standing around him.  
  
Lizzy was made even more happy when a girl tried to sit on his lap and he pushed her off immediately. She smiled and continued watching, almost enjoying Spot's discomfort.  
  
She was interrupted, however, when David came up to her and said at the top of his voice "Lizzy! How are you?"  
  
She looked up, surprised, and hoping he hadn't noticed the direction she was staring in. "I'm good," she told him.  
  
"Here, come meet my sister Sarah" he told her.  
  
Inwardly, Lizzy sighed, but outwardly she smiled and followed David across the room. On the way, David passed Spot and said "Oh, Spot, did you know Lizzy was here?" again in an unnecessarily loud voice.  
  
"Lizzy!" Spot said, smiling. All the girls around him looked with envy on the girl that made Spot smile – something they had been trying to do for a half hour.  
  
"Hi" Lizzy said somewhat shyly. "I have to go meet David's sister, but I'm sure I'll probably see you later, right?" she asked, her voice full of meaning.  
  
"Yeah, definitely" Spot assured her. As soon as David began walking away again, Spot motioned backstage and Lizzy nodded, then continued following David.  
  
They reached Jack, and David said, "Lizzy, this is Sarah. Sarah, this is Lizzy Thompson. She just became one of the newsies."  
  
"Nice to meet you" Sarah told her.  
  
"Nice to meet you too" Lizzy repeated.  
  
"So how do you like being a newsie?" Sarah asked.  
  
"It's really nice" Lizzy replied. "It's much better than being stuck inside all day."  
  
Jack laughed. "See, I told you so Sarah! I keep trying to get her to try being a newsie," Jack explained to Lizzy.  
  
"Oh" Lizzy said, not really interested. "Why don't you want to become a newsie?"  
  
"There's nothing wrong with it, really" Sarah explained. "It's just dangerous and I'd get way too dirty."  
  
"Huh" Lizzy said, not really sure what to say to that. Luckily for her, Race and Kitty came up at that moment exactly.  
  
Race introduced Kitty to Sarah, then began talking to Jack. "Lizzy, come to the restroom with me?" Kitty asked, sensing that she was looking for an escape.  
  
"Sure" Lizzy said. "It was nice meeting you," she said to Sarah, then she headed off with Kitty.  
  
Kitty was walking a little in front of her, so Lizzy tried to sign Spot that she would meet him in a minute. She turned back around to walk straight into Kitty.  
  
Kitty grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the bathroom. "So, not going out with him, huh? Don't like him as any more than a friend, huh?" she said, half seriously, half jokingly.  
  
"Don't tell anyone," Lizzy pleaded.  
  
Kitty gave her a skeptical look. "Why shouldn't I tell them that you and Spot started dating? They're going to find out eventually."  
  
Lizzy looked down guiltily. "Lizzy, how long have you been dating Spot?" she asked slowly.  
  
"I think it'll be a month soon."  
  
Kitty's mouth dropped. Then she smiled. "I knew it! I knew there was something between you two! When did you start going out?" she gushed.  
  
"The night before Spot left for Brooklyn."  
  
"That's so wonderful! But wait – why didn't you tell anyone? You know they would've been ecstatic to find out – after all, they've been trying to set you and Spot up since you became a newsie."  
  
"I know – that's part of the reason we didn't say anything. Sort of to punish them for forcing us together so much. And it was also because we weren't sure it would work, with Spot in Brooklyn and me in Manhattan. So we kept it secret so that the newsies wouldn't have to know if it would work out."  
  
"Well, that sort of makes sense." Kitty made a face. "In a twisted kind of way. But why haven't you told them by now? You two have certainly had plenty of time to know that you're relationship is going to work."  
  
"I don't know that though," Lizzy protested. "It's not like I get to see Spot very often. And…" she quieted down. "Spot's never said that we should tell the Manhattan newsies about us, so I haven't said anything either. I guess that deep down I'm still worried about his reputation as a player, and that he'll freeze when the boys find out and want to break up."  
  
"Well you'll never know until you tell them," Kitty pointed out sensibly. "And why doesn't Spot move here to be closer to you?"  
  
Lizzy rolled her eyes. "He offered, but I can't ask him to do that. He's the leader of Brooklyn! And I don't want him moving here and feeling upset about what he left behind."  
  
Kitty nodded sympathetically. "I understand. But I still think you should tell everyone. And soon!"  
  
Lizzy nodded. "I'll talk to Spot about it tonight." She smiled. "I have to go see him now."  
  
"Have fun" Kitty told her, smiling slyly. Lizzy laughed and headed out the door. Kitty went to the bathroom (she actually did have to go) and was washing her hands when a thought struck her – the newsies plan!  
  
***********************  
  
Lizzy was heading back to meet Spot, when a bunch of the newsies caught up with her. "Lizzy!" they greeted her as they steered her towards the drinks.  
  
"Hi guys," she said. "Look, I really have to go now…" she tried to say, but they cut her off.  
  
"Have a drink," Blink told her.  
  
"No, thanks I-"  
  
She was cut off by Specs, who shoved the drink into her hand. "Come on" he told her.  
  
"I don't drink" she tried to tell them.  
  
"It doesn't have any alcohol in it" Skittery told her.  
  
"So drink it!" they pressed.  
  
"If I drink it will you guys leave me alone?" Lizzy asked.  
  
They nodded. Lizzy rolled her eyes and drank from the glass. When she was finished, she put the glass down. "Happy?" she asked.  
  
They nodded.  
  
"All right then, I'm going to go now" she told them.  
  
She didn't notice the gleeful looks they were exchanging as she left. Les walked up to them just as Lizzy disappeared. "Did Spot drink his?" Boots asked.  
  
Les nodded. "Yup. He drank it all."  
  
"Good" Blink nodded. "That'll put 'em out cold for a couple of hours."  
  
TBC…  
  
AN: OK, really sorry this is such a cliffhanger, but I don't have any more time to write tonight, so I'm just posting what I have. I promise I'll be posting the rest soon! Oh, and go read my other fic, "Have Time Machine: Will Sell Papes". It's really funny, I promise. Oh, and don't forget to review! The more reviews, the sooner I post the rest (OK, maybe not, but it's worth a shot() 


	19. It's a Heist!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the newsies.  
  
AN: Thanks so much to all my reviewers! More to come soon!  
  
A NEWSIES LIFE  
  
CHAPTER 18  
  
It had taken Spot a while to get away from Les, but he finally managed to escape after he drank from the glass Les was carrying. He quickly walked backstage, thankful that he hadn't been stopped by anybody else. He glanced in the wings and found that nobody else was backstage – they were all having too good a time in the auditorium. He paced back and forth for a while until Lizzy appeared.  
  
"Sorry" she told him with a smile. "The newsies wouldn't stop bothering me."  
  
"It's alright," Spot told her. "I wasn't back here long."  
  
Spot leaned over and kissed her, and for a while they were occupied. Finally they moved to sit down in one of the wings, Spot putting his right arm around Lizzy's shoulders.  
  
"So how is your family?" Spot asked.  
  
"They're all good. Frank and Kathy want to know when you're coming to dinner again."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Mm-hmm. They really like you. Even James does, who is the most overprotective brother ever! So how are things in Brooklyn?"  
  
Spot shrugged a little. "It's the same as always. Although, I have been hearing rumors that someone's trying to take over the territory, but I'm pretty sure they're just rumors."  
  
"Take over?" Lizzy asked. "That's pretty serious. Aren't you worried?"  
  
Spot shook his head. "I trust my boys. And I trust Manhattan."  
  
"What does that have to do with it?"  
  
"Well, the rumors have been that someone from Manhattan is going to try and steal my territory. Now if it were any other territory, I might believe it, but seeing how it's Manhattan, it's just ridiculous."  
  
"Oh." Lizzy yawned. "Well that's good."  
  
She leaned closer to Spot.  
  
"Tired already?" Spot asked.  
  
"I don't know what it is" Lizzy said, "But I'm just feeling really tired."  
  
"Huh" Spot said, yawning as well.  
  
"You just yawned too!"  
  
"I did not!" Spot said.  
  
"You did too!" Spot yawned again. "There - you did it again!"  
  
Spot shrugged. "All right, all right, maybe I'm a little tired."  
  
Lizzy giggled. "Is the all-powerful leader of the fearless Brooklyn newsies admitting he has a weakness?"  
  
Spot leaned towards Lizzy. "I sure have a weakness," he agreed. "But that's not it."  
  
Lizzy smiled flirtatiously. "And what would that be?" she asked coyly.  
  
Spot merely smiled and gave her a kiss. "Guess."  
  
Lizzy smiled again, but then her face grew serious. "Spot, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about?"  
  
Spot's face turned serious again. "What is it?"  
  
Lizzy looked down. "When do you want to tell the newsies about us?"  
  
"I didn't really think it mattered." He looked at Lizzy. "Why? Does it matter to you?"  
  
"I just thought that we've been dating for awhile and it's about time we told them. It makes no difference to you?"  
  
"Not really" he told her, shrugging. "But we can go tell them right now if you want to."  
  
"Really?" Lizzy asked. "Thanks Spot."  
  
"No problem" he said, yawning yet again. "Do you want to go now?"  
  
"In a few minutes" Lizzy told him. "Right now I'm enjoying having you all to myself."  
  
Spot pulled her even closer, and pretty soon Lizzy was asleep in his arms, and Spot was snoozing with his head leaning on hers.  
  
***********************  
  
Root, the leader of the Midtown newsies, made his way over to Jack and David at the party.  
  
"How's it going Root?" Jack asked quietly, confidentially.  
  
Root, an angelic looking thirteen year old with blonde hair, blue eyes and light skin, nodded. "I've had two on each of them, trailing them all night. Your boys just gave them the stuff that will put 'em to sleep. As soon as they're out, my boys will kidnap them."  
  
"How long should it take?" David asked.  
  
"Not long at all" Root told him. "They might be outside with 'em by now, can't say for sure."  
  
"Great." Jack replied.  
  
"Now I've got to go," Root said. "My brother wants to talk to me about my girlfriend." Root rolled his eyes. "He thinks she's too old for me."  
  
Jack grinned. "That Blink is so overprotective."  
  
"Tell me about it. See you soon."  
  
Root walked off, and as soon as he was gone, Race and Kitty rushed up to him. "Jack!" Race called.  
  
"What is it?" Jack asked him.  
  
Race stopped, panting. "Spot and Lizzy are already a couple" Kitty spit out, after waiting for Race to say it and finally deciding to say it on her own.  
  
"What?" David asked. "But that's not possible!"  
  
"She just told me in the bathroom!"  
  
Race looked at Jack, who was turning pale. "Spot's not gonna be too pleased about this."  
  
Jack nodded absentmindedly. "Well he won't find out!" he finally said.  
  
"We're gonna stop it before it happens?" Kitty asked. "I mean, kidnapping them and forcing them to break out together wasn't exactly the best plan ever."  
  
Jack glared at Kitty a little. "We're going through with the plan."  
  
"But Jack-"  
  
"It's probably too late now" Jack interrupted. "If we stop them, they'll discover what we did. It's best to just go through with it. Besides, they won't really get harmed or hurt or anything."  
  
Race and Kitty looked at each other, unsure. But they both knew it was useless to try and argue, and that Root would only stop the plan at Jack's say-so. So they turned around and tried to enjoy the evening as best they could, even though it had already been spoiled.  
  
************************  
  
Meanwhile, Lizzy and Spot had had their hands and feet tied together and their mouths gagged, and had been loaded off into a wagon waiting near the theatre.  
  
The midtown boys unloaded them, still sleeping, at a factory in the Midtown territory, and place them in a room with only one very small window that was high on the wall.  
  
They then locked the door and headed back to the party, eager to finally be able to enjoy themselves. They would return about three days later, to see if Spot and Lizzy were still there.  
  
Meanwhile, Bumlets had work to do. 


	20. Where are we?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. So don't sue me because all there is to take is my new Harry Potter DVD. And I'm hiding it so you'll never find it! ::sticks out tongue and runs away::  
  
Author's Note: Readers, I'm really sorry. I'm a terrible person – it took me forever to update! It's strange, when I have no plot I have no trouble writing, but when the plot's all worked out (and it is) I can't seem to get it down on paper! I'm really, really going to try to finish this soon, then I'll probably go back over and edit after that.  
  
Oh, if you have any ideas whatsoever, I'd love to hear them! Put them in a review or email me at dreamcoat11@yahoo.com. I might not use it, but I might be able to work some stuff into the plot I already have planned. And please review – it's really what keeps me writing and posting!  
  
A NEWSIES LIFE  
  
CHAPTER 19  
  
When Lizzy woke up she was in the most uncomfortable position. She was all balled up, her hands and feet tied together, and a gag around her mouth. She looked around, trying to gage where she was, but didn't recognize her surroundings.  
  
She decided to concentrate on untying herself, and after a lot of struggle discovered that the ropes would slip off her hands and feet easily if she took off her shoes. Then she untied the gag around her mouth and put her shoes back on.  
  
Now she looked around in earnest. She hadn't noticed Spot before because he was on the side her back was facing, but there he was behind her, still sleeping heavily, and snoring too. It was a wonder he hadn't woken her up before with all the noise he was making.  
  
Lizzy untied Spot and undid his gag, too, but he slept through the whole thing. Lizzy then walked around the room they were in. It was somewhat big and not too clean. Probably a warehouse. She walked over to the door and pulled on it, but it was locked tight from the outside. She then pushed on it with all her might, but it still wouldn't budge.  
  
She looked around again and noticed that the room had two windows with bars on them. They were both well over her head, but they let in sunlight. She grabbed a barrel from the farside of the room, hauled it over to the window and stood on it to look outside. The room they were in was obviously on a second floor, so there was no hope of escape there. And all she could see around them was dilapidated old buildings.  
  
She climbed down, disappointed. She hauled the barrel back over to where it had stood with two other barrels and then looked inside.  
  
It was filled with crackers.  
  
So were the other two.  
  
"At least they didn't leave us with any food" Lizzy thought. "Whoever did this to us" she added almost as an afterthought.  
  
She looked around the room again, but there was almost nothing else there except a pile of junk in one corner which might come in handy. Lizzy sat down against one of the walls helplessly, hoping that when Spot woke up he would have a bright idea that would get them out of here.  
  
But Spot slept for another hour. And another hour after that. By the time he woke up, Lizzy judged by the sun out the window that it was at least midday. Finally, Spot started stirring.  
  
He opened his eyes groggily, then sat up, confused. He saw Lizzy sitting nearby. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
Lizzy shrugged. "I have no idea. But it looks like we're stuck here for now."  
  
"Where is here?"  
  
Lizzy shrugged again. "I don't know Spot. I just woke up and there we were, bound and gagged on the floor. I managed to untie myself, and then I untied you. I looked around and out the windows, but I don't know the city very well, so I'm not sure where we are."  
  
Spot looked at her. "Are you trying to say that we were kidnapped?"  
  
"Kidnapped?" Lizzy said. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but I guess…we were."  
  
Spot muttered a curse word under his breath as he stood up. He too looked around the room, searching for an escape while Lizzy watched him. He too grabbed a barrel and looked out the window.  
  
"Can you tell where we are?" Lizzy asked.  
  
"Midtown" Spot answered with certainty.  
  
"Oh" Lizzy said, since his answer meant practically nothing to her.  
  
"If we're in their territory, then Midtown boys must have kidnapped us."  
  
"How'd you figure that?"  
  
"Leaders make sure to know what's going on in the territory. And this is a pretty unknown place – most people in the other boroughs wouldn't know about it."  
  
Lizzy nodded, understanding. "Why would Midtown kidnap us though?"  
  
"I have no idea," Spot told her, climbing down from the barrel. "What's in here?"  
  
"Crackers" Lizzy told him. "At least our captors left us some food so we wouldn't starve."  
  
"How nice of them" Spot said sarcastically. Then he brightened up. "At least your family will search for you."  
  
"Sure, in a week" Lizzy told him.  
  
"Oh, that's right – they think you're with Kitty."  
  
Lizzy nodded. "Unfortunately. Whoever kidnapped us must've known that then."  
  
Spot looked up, startled. "You think it's someone who knows us well?"  
  
"I guess. Or else someone was really lucky. And also, why'd they kidnap both of us?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
"It's just kind of odd. I mean maybe…"  
  
"What is it?" Spot asked.  
  
Lizzy shrugged. "Just a thought, but it can't be true. So lets try and figure out a way to get out of here."  
  
*********************  
  
Meanwhile, Bumlits had just been declared the new leader of Brooklyn.  
  
TBC…  
  
REVIEW! Pretty please!! 


	21. Breaking Up is Hard to Do

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the newsies.  
  
A NEWSIES LIFE  
  
CHAPTER 20  
  
Try as they might, Lizzy and Spot could not manage to break out of their prison. They found that the bars could be removed from the windows, but that seemed pointless since they were on the second floor with no means of climbing down.  
  
On the first day, Spot and Lizzy managed to actually have a good time – they talked and laughed most of the day, and if they were starting to get sick of only having crackers to eat, they didn't show it.  
  
On the second day, things were getting a little strained. It was getting chilly, and both were worrying about how they were going to get out, and when. And the complaining also started – about the crackers, about how uncomfortable the floor was, about how much they wanted to leave.  
  
By the third day, Spot and Lizzy were practically driving each other nuts. Which was really quite natural, considering that they were both high strung, and that they had no one else to talk to except each other.  
  
They got into a huge argument, neither quite knowing how it started. However, they were soon yelling at each other without stop for about a half an hour. It finally ended when Spot told Lizzy to stop complaining so much. She replied by telling him she'd never complain to him again, and that he could consider them broken up. Then she couldn't help adding that he certainly complained more than she did.  
  
This shocked Spot. Yes, Lizzy was getting on his nerves but he certainly didn't want to break up with her. Besides, he was still red-hot with anger, so he only yelled back "Fine!" then retreated to another corner of the room.  
  
At about mid-afternoon, Spot and Lizzy heard someone enter the warehouse. They still wouldn't speak to each other, although they had both cooled down some, so it was easy for them to hear the conversation coming from below.  
  
"Do you think they broke out already?" someone was asking.  
  
The other person laughed. "I doubt it. I made sure myself that there was no way out of that room."  
  
"But it's awfully quiet" the other voice countered.  
  
Spot motioned for Lizzy to keep silent. She held up her fist, then pointed towards the door. The motion was slightly vague, but Spot understood – if the two boys from below opened the door, they would beat them up.  
  
"Well let's check" the second boy said, and Spot and Lizzy heard the two trudging up stairs.  
  
"Shhh" one of them said, obviously not realizing that Spot and Lizzy had heard them long before.  
  
Spot and Lizzy stood against the wall right behind where the door would open. They heard the door being unlocked from the outside and then it opened. The two boys glanced in, but Spot and Lizzy were behind the open door.  
  
The boys walked farther in, and as soon as they were took two steps, Spot and Lizzy jumped out from their hiding place. Spot latched onto the bigger kid and Lizzy immediately began hitting the smaller one.  
  
Within five minutes both were bleeding and on the floor. Spot had given his two black eyes and a few punches in the stomach. Lizzy had given hers one black eye, a kick in the crotch and a bloody nose.  
  
They finally paused and looked at both the boys. "Root!" Spot said suddenly, staring at the small blonde that Lizzy had just beat up.  
  
"What?" Lizzy asked, surprised. "This is Root?" She had heard all about Blink's brother, but she had never met him.  
  
Spot nodded, furious. Then he reached down and grabbed Root by the collar. His companion was too hurt (and afraid) to do anything but cower on the floor.  
  
"What's this about?" Spot asked menacingly.  
  
"No harm meant Spot, I mean it!" Root said, trying to get free.  
  
"You kidnap us and claim there was no harm meant?" Lizzy asked incredulously.  
  
"I was just doing it as a favor!" Root claimed, frantic.  
  
"To who?" Spot asked quietly.  
  
"I promised I wouldn't tell!"  
  
Spot tightened his grip on Root's neck. "To who?" he repeated.  
  
"To my brother!" Root finally said, desperate to get out of Spot's clutches.  
  
Lizzy's mouth dropped open, but Spot showed no surprise. He dropped Root, then he motioned Lizzy to follow him out the door.  
  
Once they were in the hallway, they closed the door to the room they had been in and locked it, Root and the other boy still inside.  
  
"We can tell Blink to come rescue his brother" Spot said, finally showing anger. "See how they like it," he muttered under his breath.  
  
They found the way downstairs and stepped outside, happy to finally be out of the warehouse. They stood in silence for awhile, awkward, but finally Lizzy broke the ice.  
  
"So where should we go?" Lizzy asked.  
  
"Let's head to Brooklyn first," Spot told her, not looking at her. He was still stung by the fact that Lizzy had broken up with him, but deep inside he knew that he couldn't leave her to find her way back alone, or he would feel guilty for weeks.  
  
Lizzy nodded silently, then followed. She was already starting to regret what she had said in the warehouse, but she was still mad and didn't know if she could take it back yet. Plus, she wanted Spot to apologize. She was sure that he had started their argument (although she didn't remember what they had started arguing about).  
  
So they walked in silence until they reached Brooklyn. That was when a newsie stopped them.  
  
"Spot, what are you doing here?" the young boy asked.  
  
Spot gave him a strange look. "Returning to my territory."  
  
"Your territory?" the boy asked uncertainly. "But-"  
  
He stopped mid-sentence, not wanting to continue. "OK, see you later" he said in the same uncertain tone. Then he ran off.  
  
"What was that about?" Lizzy asked.  
  
Spot shrugged, just as confused. "I'll try and find someone to get an explanation from."  
  
They continued walking deeper into Brooklyn, trying to ignore the strange looks they were getting from all the newsies.  
  
They finally reached the docks and Spot was about to walk on when a big newsie stopped him. "Spot!" he said, obviously shocked.  
  
"Hey let me through," Spot said in an annoyed tone.  
  
"I can't do that," the guy said. "I'll send someone to ask our leader if you can come through."  
  
"Your leader?" Spot asked, his mouth dropping open. "I'm your leader."  
  
The guy looked confused. "What? You left town Spot – we thought you were never coming back."  
  
"Who told you that?" Lizzy asked incredulously.  
  
The boy shrugged. "I don't know who told it first, but it's been going around for awhile now. So we inducted a new leader."  
  
"But I never left town!" Spot said, more confused than angry at the moment.  
  
"Let us through" Lizzy told the boy.  
  
"Sorry" said another boy. "We're not supposed to let you two through.  
  
"Oh, you're not are you?" Spot asked with steel in his voice. "Well I think we're coming through anyways."  
  
He hit one of the boys in the stomach with his elbow, while Lizzy stomped on the other boy's foot, then hit him in the nose.  
  
They raced through, then continued down the dock. They reached the end when they heard a voice say "Well well, what have we here?"  
  
They turned to the right and saw Bumlets sitting on one of the posts. He hopped down.  
  
"What brings you two here?" he asked in a slightly mocking voice.  
  
Spot scowled and pushed up his sleeves while rolling his fingers into a fist. He didn't get the first punch in, however.  
  
With a huge leap, Lizzy jumped forward and began punching Bumlets with all her might, all the while yelling things at him that are best left unsaid.  
  
Spot was too shocked to do anything but watch, and in a few moments Bumlets was knocked out cold on the dock.  
  
Lizzy turned around, furious. "All right" she said in an even voice. "Someone tell us what's going on. Now!"  
  
TBC…  
  
AN: Don't kill me! I know, I broke them up! But this isn't the end of the story! There's more to come, so click that review button and tell me what you think! 


	22. The Final Chapter

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own any of the newsies, blah, blah, blah, I hate these disclaimers – anybody with half a brain would know that I don't own the rights to the movie!

And yes, I made Sarah a total ditz in this chapter.  I've never liked her, so I don't feel bad about it at all.

            A NEWSIES LIFE

CHAPTER 21

            One of the Brooklyn newsies came forward – Lizzy recognized him as one of the newsies that had accompanied Spot to Medda's the first night they had met.  "I'll tell you what I know Spot" he said, looking a little nervously at Bumlet's limp figure on the ground, then at Lizzy.  "As long as she calms down."

            Lizzy glared at him but Spot gave her a look and replied "Sure Taps.  What do you know?"

            They walked to the edge of the docks where the other newsies couldn't hear them.  "Well, about a week ago we were warned that our leader would be leaving us soon," he began.

            "What reason were you given?" Spot asked.

            The boy looked down, and finally stammered out "We thought that you two were eloping."

            "WHAT?" Lizzy broke out.  "That's ridiculous!  Who would tell you something like that?  We're both only sixteen – we can't legally get married in any state yet!"

            "Well, that's what we were led to believe" Taps insisted.

            "Well, that was stupid of you then, wasn't it?"

            "Not so stupid considering the fact that our leader is head over heels in love with you!"

            Lizzy was speechless at this, and her mouth dropped open.

            Spot turned slightly red and tried to bring the conversation back to it's original intent.  "Who told everyone that we were eloping?"

            Taps hesitated.  "Well… I can't be too sure" he said slowly.

            Spot rolled his eyes.  "I know you know.  Who was it?"

            After a long pause, Taps finally spit out, "Jack Kelly."    

Both Spot and Lizzy seemed stunned.  Then, they got up and started walking away.

            "Hey, where're you two going?" Taps called after them, surprised at their sudden departure.

            "To give Jack Kelly a lesson he won't forget, right Lizzy?" Spot asked.

            She nodded in return and they both stormed off towards Manhattan.

************************

            They reached Manhattan territory in record time, but had to pause to try to figure out where exactly Jack would be.

            "What time is it?" Lizzy asked.

            "About dinner time" Spot replied.

            "Then he'll be at David's house" Lizzy said.  "Probably with Sarah."

            They headed down the streets and finally reached the Jacob's house.  "Leave the talking to me" Lizzy warned Spot.

            She knocked on the door two times, and then plastered a fake smile on her face as Mrs. Jacob's opened the door.

            "Hello" she said sweetly.  "My name is Lizzy and this is Spot.  We're looking for Jack Kelly."

            David came to the door warily.  "I do believe they're up on the roof" Mrs. Jacobs told them.

            "I'll come with you" David said.  "I can show you the way" he fumbled.

            "No" Lizzy said, still in her fake-sweet voice.  "We need to talk to him privately.  But thanks."

            She turned around and headed up the stairs, Spot following close behind.  "What are we going to say to him?" she asked Spot.

            "Just let me do the talking" Spot said.

            They reached the door to the roof and headed outside, then walked across the floor to where Jack and Sarah were talking.

            Jack looked up and threw them a careless smile.  "Well, look who bothered to show up."

            Lizzy scoffed, but Spot merely grabbed Jack by the collar and told him "I wouldn't be smiling if I were you. That is, unless you want to be missing a few teeth."

            Jack's grin disappeared, but he still looked self-assured and met Spot's gaze squarely.

            "Don't challenge me like that," Spot told him in a quiet voice.  "You may be able to beat up those Delancey oafs every day, but you'll have a harder time with me.  Now" he said calmly.  "WHAT (punch) THE (whack) HELL (smack!) WERE (crunch) YOU (wham!) THINKING (stomp)?" he yelled, punching him at every word.

            Jack gasped as he fell to the ground, then groaned as he tried to get up.  He managed to get on his hands and knees, but Spot put his foot on Jack's back and pushed him back down.

            "Oh!  You hurt him!" Sarah said, distraught.

            Lizzy and Spot rolled their eyes simultaneously.  "Why don't you go inside Sarah?" Lizzy suggested with an acidic tone in her voice.  "This really isn't appropriate for a lady to see."

            "What do you mean?" Sarah asked with wide eyes.

            "Just go" Lizzy said, pushing her towards the stairs.  Sarah meekly went down the stairs, leaving Spot and Lizzy alone with Jack.

"Why'd you do it Jack?" Spot asked with a steely tone in his voice.

"I did it for you two," Jack spat out.

"You _kidnapped _us Jack," Lizzy told him, unable to contain herself.  
 "It was a last resort.  We'd been trying to set you two up for weeks."

"You are such an idiot, Jack," Spot told him.  "Lizzy and I were going out for about three weeks, until she broke up with me this morning."

"What?"

"That's right," Spot told him.  "We're broken up now."

Jack groaned.  "You two are the biggest idiots ever!"

"Let's just say we come in a close second," Lizzy said.   "To you."

Jack shrugged.  "I guess you could say that."

"You admit you were wrong?" Spot asked, surprised.  

"Well I would've been right if you two hadn't been dating already."

"Can we stop all this now?" Lizzy asked.  "We have to get Spot his territory back."

"We?" Spot asked her hopefully.

"Of course!" Lizzy said with a smile.  "You didn't think I really meant it when I broke up with you?"

Spot smiled and grabbed her waist, planting a kiss on her mouth.

"I'm really sorry Spot," Lizzy whispered.  "I was just frustrated."

"Don't worry about it," he replied.  "I would've done the same thing in another hour!"

"Um, excuse me," Jack interrupted.  "I hate to break up this little love fest, but Spot doesn't need to get Brooklyn back."

"Why is that?" Spot asked.

"Well, it's just that another territory would do just as well, right?"

"What territories are available Jack?" Spot asked sarcastically.

"Manhattan, for one."

"_What_?" Lizzy asked.

"I start a new job on Monday.  That means Manhattan will be without a leader.  I think the boys would be delighted to have Spot Conlon."

Lizzy and Spot looked at each other.  "Only if you want to," Lizzy told him.  "You don't have to do this for me."

Spot looked down, thinking.  After a minute he looked up.  "Of course I'll do it," he said.  "And not just for you."

Lizzy shrieked with delight, while Jack grinned, his mission finally accomplished.

***************************

Jack reached the Lodging House before Spot and Lizzy had even stopped celebrating on the roof of the Jacob's building.  "I did it," he told the newsies when he got there.  "Not only are they a couple, but Spot's taking my place, just like you boys wanted."

The newsies gave a cheer.  They had known that Jack was looking for a job months ago.  They had made him agree that he would not leave until he got them another leader.  And not just any old leader – a good one.

Which was why Jack had gone to such lengths to set up Spot and Lizzy – he knew it would be easier to convince Spot to stay if he had a good inducement.  

When Spot and Lizzy arrived at the Lodging House the newsies cheered again.  "Well boys, looks like I'm moving in," Spot told them.

They stayed up practically all night, celebrating sort of as a going-away party for Jack and a welcome party for Spot.

Later, Spot and Lizzy sat on the fire escape, with one arm around Lizzy.  Lizzy leaned her head back and closed her eyes.  As much as she loved to stay up, it was getting late even for her.  "Are you awake?" Spot asked her quietly.

"Yes," she replied.  She opened her eyes and smiled at him.  "What was it that Taps said before?"

"What do you mean?" Spot asked evasively.

"Well, I just thought he mentioned something about, um…"

"Me being in love with you?"

Lizzy blushed a little and nodded.  Spot shrugged.  "Well, he does have eyes."

Lizzy looked straight at Spot.  "Does that mean that –"

"That I love you?" Spot broke in.  "It does.  And what about you?"  
            What about me?" Lizzy asked coyly.

Spot sighed with frustration, even though he knew she was only teasing.  "I guess," Lizzy began, "I would have to say that I love you too."

"You mean that?"

Lizzy nodded.  

"You know what this means?" Spot asked.  Lizzy shook her head.  "It means I'm gonna marry you someday, okay?"

"Is that a promise?"

"It sure is," Spot replied.

Then he leaned down and kissed her, and they sat on the fire escape, watching the city lights, and planning their future together.  They both knew it was going to be a good one.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  I'm DONE!  Woo hoo!  I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it!  I'm in the process of editing this story (adding more, changing some of the wording, etc.) and I'll be posting that.  I would LOVE any ideas for a new title, because this title is so boring.  And after I finish editing this story, I might write a sequel if you guys are interested.  Anyways, please review and tell me what you think of it, and any ideas for a sequel!


	23. Thank Yous

THANK YOUS

Thanks to all my reviewers:

AngelicOne

baby309blue

Bam

BEM

Brenna

brittney

Candi Kane

carrots461

dragon

Duchess

DxInsider

Fastdancr

Feisty

gloria

Gnat10886

Guru

haley

Hica Lynn

illini

Jacki

Jacqs

Jazz

Jessi

Kate

kathy

Katie

KayT

Ladybug

Liz

Loki

Lshorty

LuckyYou

Maggie Davis

mary

mandy

mom

Miss Ice

Mushtmblr

Natalie

newsie-lover

Olive

Paris

Petite

princessred

Rae Kelly

Rabbit

Raven

Rubellite

S

Sami

Sara

Serina

Singah

Sugar

Tuffy

YKW

I could not have done this without you guys, so thank you all so much!  Please review my last chapter, and give me any ideas for a sequel!!!


End file.
